There will be worms when flour expires, and some eggs that are not killed will become worms under moist conditions, according to experts. Flour beetles can produce carcinogenic substances, experts said.
The Wukang Road outlet had made 1,113 breads with the expired flour, the most among the four outlets, and more than 700 of those had been sold, with the rest destroyed, the bureau said.
The headquarters comprises Farine's production and stock area as well as its research and development, and a laboratory that only started operations this month.
The bakery brand Farine, which means flour in French, claimed all its flours were high quality "stone ground flours" imported from France.
Farine products were popular among both expats and local residents — with customers often queuing for half an hour or so to buy its bread. Customers who tried to do so yesterday expressed surprise the renowned bakery had been suspended due to food safety issues.
"I'm really disappointed because my friend and I often come to buy. Its price is not cheap so we always believe the quality is good," an American customer said. "If it is true, it definitely should be punished, because they cannot do that to their clients," she added.
A customer from Germany told Shanghai Daily, "I felt surprised that one of the most expensive breads in the city was found using expired flour. I think the city government should enhance supervision on food safety."
The scandal was initially exposed by one of the bakery's staff who posted on Weibo that the bakery on Wukang Road was using expired and even moldy flour.
In candid videos he posted, the package on a bag of flours showed the expiry date was December 2016, but bakers were shown using them. One baker used a sieve to remove mold. The baked bread was placed on dirty cloths, and some shelves were covered in dust.
"My conscience will be condemned if I failed to expose the scandal," the staff member said. "There are so many customers coming to buy the bread every day, including many parents and their children."
The 30-year-old whistleblower began working as a baker for Farine's Wukang Road bakery last October. He collected evidence with his mobile phone and tipped off to the city's food and drug administration on March 20. He also posted what he had found on a blog that attracted wide public attention.
He said the expired flour would not affect how the bread tasted but the aflatoxin generated from the flour could be harmful to health.
"I initially reported to the management of the bakery but was told I would lose my job if I kept pursuing the issue. My career might be destroyed because the circle of bakers is quite small, but I feel no regret."
The head of the Wukang Road bakery surnamed Xin yesterday confirmed the whistleblower once worked for the bakery. The batch of expired flour found in the bakery was stored as "safety stock" and should have been thrown away, Xin said.
Shanghai Food and Drug Administration has increased the maximum cash prize to whistleblowers for tipping off wrongdoings related to food safety to 300,000 yuan ($43,565).
