Bread remains superfluous, dyes and is sold cheaply in stores...

Bread remains abundant and inexpensive in stores in the Azerbaijani town of Astara, with reports of expired bread being sold at low prices. In one shop selling agricultural products, stacks of bread were observed, with the store owner claiming that it was expired bread brought from Baku and sold at a discounted rate of one manat for five or six pieces, despite the actual cost of one piece ranging from 55-65 kopecks.

Local resident Novruz Feyziyev expressed concerns about the wastefulness of such practices, stating that the excess bread was being used as feed for cattle and poultry. "Is it possible to work like that? You need to bake only as much bread as can be consumed. There are still large amounts of expired bread in the warehouse," Feyziyev said.

He further pointed out that with the current month being Ramadan according to the Hijri calendar, when most of the population is fasting, the demand for bread is naturally reduced as people tend to consume more rice. Additionally, in remote villages, bread is often baked in traditional tandoors, further decreasing the need for factory-produced bread.

The owner of a local bakery acknowledged that wastefulness in bread production is not limited to small shops, but also occurs in large bakeries. Akif Mammadov, a resident of Astara who is currently observing Ramadan, stated that he uses bread sparingly during the fasting period. "We prefer to have pilaf at Iftar because it provides sustenance. Bread does not last. The extravagance of bread is not acceptable. Our prophet was against waste. Do they just throw away the bread? There are many who are in need of bread," Mammadov commented.

Social activist Asan Hashimli emphasized the importance of preventing bread waste, noting that grain is a strategic product for the country. He highlighted that over a million tons of grain are imported annually to provide flour for the population. Hashimli called for an assessment of the production capacity of local bakeries to ensure they are able to meet the demand, and suggested that if they fall short, bread should be imported from outside the district or country. He also raised concerns about bread being imported from abroad and questioned its quality.

Hashimli further recalled that there was a global shortage of grain last year, underscoring the need to address bread waste. However, attempts to seek comments from bakery owners and official bodies in Baku on the issue were reportedly unsuccessful, according to AzadligRadiosu.