Man claims he was fired from Queens bakery after refusing to bake with bug-infested flour
BYANTHONY IZAGUIRREJOHN MARZULLI
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Thursday, September 15, 2016, 4:59 PM
Stefan Fischer is seeking reinstatement to his job, lost wages and the $2,500 cost of relocating from California to take the job in New York City.
(PAUL FISCHER VIA FACEBOOK)
You can’t unsee the spider baked into cookies at Aldi
When he was hired last January by Bakery of New York located in Long Island City, he had 30 years experience, held a degree in baking bread and pastry from Berufs Fachschule in Germany, and was certified in food safety and handling.
So when Fischer discovered the bakery's 3,000-pound flour silo was infested with insects, he acted decisively, taking a photo of the problem and sending a text message to his boss informing him that he was going to toss out the tainted flour and have the silo sanitized, according to the suit filed Wednesday in Brooklyn Federal Court.
The Queens bakery where a man was fired for refusing to bake with bug infested flour.
(HOWARD SIMMONS/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)
The owner responded by ordering Fischer to use the flour to make a batch of multi-grain bread.
Fischer refused to carry out the disgusting directive and was fired from his $75,000 job as master baker and operations manager, the suit says.
Bed bugs invade NYC Council offices after infiltrating City Hall
“Mr. Fischer is not only a capable baker, he is highly regarded in the industry because of his expertise in food safety and sanitation issues,” his lawyer Jonathan Bernstein said.
Fischer is seeking reinstatement to his job, lost wages and the $2,500 cost of relocating from California to take the job in New York City.
Prior to the insect invasion, Duscher claims he made other complaints about cleanliness issues at the plant, and they were ignored, the suit alleges.
Fischer refused to carry out the disgusting directive and was fired from his $75,000 job as master baker and operations manager, the suit says.
(HOWARD SIMMONS/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)
A spokesman for Bakery of New York did not respond to a request for comment.
The company sells baked goods to wholesalers, and other bakeries, Bernstein said.
A clerk at the The Garden in Greenpoint, an upscale grocery in Brooklyn that carries sourdough, olive and seven-grain loaves made by Bakery of New York, said: “They shouldn't have used it if there were flies in the flour. But I'm sure stuff like that happens all the time.”
A former co-worker of Fischer's spoke highly of him.
“Stefan's great. I love him, but that's just me,” the worker said. “I don't want to say anything that'll get me in trouble.”
BYANTHONY IZAGUIRREJOHN MARZULLI
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Thursday, September 15, 2016, 4:59 PM
- Tweet
Stefan Fischer is seeking reinstatement to his job, lost wages and the $2,500 cost of relocating from California to take the job in New York City.
(PAUL FISCHER VIA FACEBOOK)
You can’t unsee the spider baked into cookies at Aldi
When he was hired last January by Bakery of New York located in Long Island City, he had 30 years experience, held a degree in baking bread and pastry from Berufs Fachschule in Germany, and was certified in food safety and handling.
So when Fischer discovered the bakery's 3,000-pound flour silo was infested with insects, he acted decisively, taking a photo of the problem and sending a text message to his boss informing him that he was going to toss out the tainted flour and have the silo sanitized, according to the suit filed Wednesday in Brooklyn Federal Court.
The Queens bakery where a man was fired for refusing to bake with bug infested flour.
(HOWARD SIMMONS/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)
The owner responded by ordering Fischer to use the flour to make a batch of multi-grain bread.
Fischer refused to carry out the disgusting directive and was fired from his $75,000 job as master baker and operations manager, the suit says.
Bed bugs invade NYC Council offices after infiltrating City Hall
“Mr. Fischer is not only a capable baker, he is highly regarded in the industry because of his expertise in food safety and sanitation issues,” his lawyer Jonathan Bernstein said.
Fischer is seeking reinstatement to his job, lost wages and the $2,500 cost of relocating from California to take the job in New York City.
Prior to the insect invasion, Duscher claims he made other complaints about cleanliness issues at the plant, and they were ignored, the suit alleges.
Fischer refused to carry out the disgusting directive and was fired from his $75,000 job as master baker and operations manager, the suit says.
(HOWARD SIMMONS/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)
A spokesman for Bakery of New York did not respond to a request for comment.
The company sells baked goods to wholesalers, and other bakeries, Bernstein said.
A clerk at the The Garden in Greenpoint, an upscale grocery in Brooklyn that carries sourdough, olive and seven-grain loaves made by Bakery of New York, said: “They shouldn't have used it if there were flies in the flour. But I'm sure stuff like that happens all the time.”
A former co-worker of Fischer's spoke highly of him.
“Stefan's great. I love him, but that's just me,” the worker said. “I don't want to say anything that'll get me in trouble.”