A video showing a man standing barefoot and fully clothed in a cucumber washing pool has caused widespread outrage.
The incident occurred in Catalpinar, a village in the Adana province of Turkey, and the footage surfaced on social media on 25th May.
The video depicts a worker using his bare feet to clean cucumbers in a communal washing pool, a traditional method still employed by some local producers.
The practice of washing cucumbers in large water baths is common in rural Turkey, where it serves as an efficient way to clean large quantities of produce.
However, the use of bare feet in the process has been met with significant criticism.
One social media user commented: "What you touch with your bare feet is disgusting," highlighting the public's concern over hygiene standards.
In response to the backlash, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's General Directorate of Food and Control issued a statement confirming that the video was from a previous date and that the facility had since been inspected.
An inspection conducted on 27th May reportedly found that the facility now complies with hygiene standards.
The worker seen in the video has been dismissed, and both administrative and legal actions have been initiated against the individual and the facility.
(MJ Leidig/newsX)