By: LekshmiSajeev
A MUSLIM man has hit out at Pret a Manger after finding out that his favourite tuna sandwich is not halal.
Khalid Qadeer, from London, has been eating his lunch at Pret for the past 12 years, and a few weeks ago he noticed a new ingredients label on the sandwich wrapper that listed white wine vinegar.
The tax adviser said consuming white wine vinegar goes against his religious beliefs.
He told Metro.co.uk: “Being a Muslim I can’t consume anything with alcohol. And there’s probably thousands of Muslims who buy products from Pret.
“As most people know, some Muslims drink alcohol and the rest, but there is a certain percentage that will have a ‘oh what the f***’ moment here.”
He added: “I’ve worked in the City for the last 12 years as a tax adviser and I would have never bought the product had I known.”
Pret has started putting detailed ingredients list on its sandwiches following the death of two customers due to allergic reactions.
Qadeer met Pret’s CEO Clive Schlee to discuss the issue, but said his concerns were “dismissed.”
In an email seen by Metro.co.uk, the CEO wrote that the alcohol content in white wine vinegar was much less than what one would find in most orange juices.
Qadeer said: “Whether it’s 1% or 0.1%, there is zero tolerance. It’s like a nut allergy.
“They [people with allergies] have zero tolerance and likewise with staunch Muslims, they would be pretty upset and devastated if they knew.”
Meanwhile, a Pret spokesperson said the sandwich had never been labelled as halal-certified.
“Whilst we’re very sorry that Mr Qadeer feels he was misled, the food and drink sold at Pret has never been labelled as halal-certified and we have never made any halal product claims,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
“We always encourage anyone with specific dietary needs to speak to a team member or visit our website to check whether a product is suitable for them.”
