A branch of the Quick fast-food chain at Brussels Zuidstation was closed for one day last week on the orders of the federal food safety agency (FAVV). The decision came after a visit by food inspectors who said they were shocked at the state of the kitchens. "The temperature where the hamburgers were being stored was far too high and no cleaning had been done in a long time," said Lieve Busschots, spokesperson for the FAVV. The restaurant reopened the following day after some 100 kilos of suspect meat were thrown away and the place cleaned up. Quick is a Belgian group established in 1971 as a rival to McDonald's. It operates 78 restaurants in Belgium, with a turnover of €156 million.
Flemish families have survived the global crisis better than most in Europe, with one in five currently holding savings of €50,000 or more, compared to a European average of one in 12. The figure for Flanders is the highest in Europe, according to a study by the market research organisation GfK. The Flemish are also keeping ahead of other Belgians, with one-sixth of Flemish families holding savings worth more than €75,000, compared to one in eight in Brussels and one in 12 in Wallonia.
Cocaine users are being given incentives to quit in a new programme launched by the Kiem rehabilitation centre in Ghent. Inspired by a project developed in United States, addicts are rewarded if they stay off drugs for a six-month treatment period. Those who make it to the end of the course get €1,268 in the form of food coupons or vouchers for cinemas, saunas and gyms.
Belgium is the sixth most expensive country in Europe, according to figures published by the EU statistical office Eurostat. The country is among the most costly for food, alcohol, restaurants and clothes, but cars and electronic goods are cheaper. The report shows that Belgians can save money by buying alcohol and cigarettes in Luxembourg, food in the Netherlands and clothes and electronic goods in Britain.
The price of Belgian endives, or chicory (witlof) has hit a new low, with farmers getting 50 cents per kilo against production costs of one euro. The Belgian specialist growers face stiff competition from French farmers who can produce at lower costs.
Sunbathers on Ostend beach were evacuated last week after a German mine was spotted off the coast. The munition was towed out to sea and safely detonated.
Belgian families are getting deeper into debt, according to the most recent figures released by the National Bank. The level of debt increased by 9.2% in the first half of 2009 and now totals €2.03 billion. Mortgage debt rose by 17.7% to €650 million, while consumer debt went up more slowly, increasing 5.7% to €1.38 billion. The rise in debt is mainly due to increased unemployment and companies cutting working hours. As a result, debt collectors and bailiffs have seen a sharp increase in their workload.
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