Why Did Authorities Remain Silent for Over a Week Regarding the Poisoning Incident at the ‘Julius’ Restaurant?

For several days now, the scandal surrounding the ‘Julius’ restaurant located at 39 Pushkin Street has continued to unfold. It is important to recall that the first alert regarding this restaurant was received as early as February 8. The authorities did not address the issue until poisoned citizens began posting on social media, expressing their astonishment that the establishment was still operational.

It was revealed that the number of affected individuals, who were found to have salmonella, is 20. Today, one of the responsible agencies, the Armenian Food Safety Inspectorate, announced that dozens of violations had been detected, leading to a suspension of the establishment’s operations. A deadline has been set for addressing the violations.

It took 8 days for all this to happen. Ultimately, why did authorities remain silent for over a week? Why were the public not informed about the poisoning incidents in a timely manner so that people might avoid visiting the restaurant? Perhaps there is a gap in the law, and what should be done in such cases? Aurora News spoke with Babken Pipoyan, founder and president of the Consumer Awareness and Protection NGO. Details are available in the Aurora News interview.