A master baker in Queens says he was fired for refusing to use bug-infested flour to make “crunchy” multi-grain bread, according to a new lawsuit filed in Brooklyn federal court.
Stefan Fischer, who trained to be a professional dough-puncher in Germany and has spent 30 years in the industry, worked for the Bakery of New York in Long Island City from February until July, the suit says.
That’s when he discovered that a 3,000-lb. flour silo was swarming with insects and snapped a pic and sent it to his supervisor.
Fischer also texted the boss that he was going to toss the powdery foodstuff and get the silo professionally cleaned.
But Marco Avila, one of Bakery of New York’s owners, allegedly told him that he should use the contaminated flour for multi-grain bread, “presumably because the infestation would pass unnoticed if concealed in crunchy bread,” the suit charges.
Fischer refused — and was immediately terminated.
He claims to have witnessed other “unsanitary, unhealthy and possible unlawful food-handling practices” at the bakery, including open containers of dairy products, solidified flour and dirt on the floors, dirty baking trays and uncovered garbage cans, the complaint says.
His complaints about those issues were ignored, the suit says.
Fischer, who lives in New Jersey, is certified in Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, or food safety practices, according to court papers.
Bakery of New York, which churns out croissants, cookies and other sweets, didn’t immediately comment.
Fischer’s lawyer Jonathan Bernstein declined to comment – and didn’t know whether the flour wound up being used.