Mexican officials treat themselves to salmon, serrano ham using public resources

Beer, Perrier water, cod, blueberries, shrimp, chistorra, Clamato, cheeses, dates, Serrano ham, machaca, smoked salmon, fresh Chilean salmon, rompope, and Nutella

are some of the products purchased b y Nacional Financiera SNC (NAFIN) , a government-owned national development bank ; some of the products were purchased at a higher price than average .

The expensive grocery list includes 14 different kinds of cheese including Roquefort, goat cheese, cotija, and Parmesan ; 80 kilos of high-quality white quinoa that cost Mexican taxpayers MXN $10,400, and 38 kilos of Spanish mushrooms.

According to documents available at CompraNet, NAFIN awarded a contract to Pigudi Gastronómico S.A. de C.V. to provide the institute with products for the cafeterias and meeting rooms, for MXN $2,790 million .

On February 26, the company was chosen because its “proposal was solvent .” The contract was signed on March 7 and became effective on March 15.

Moreover, the winning company is the same one that provides the food services to the National Science and Technology Council (Conacyt).

The company Pigudi Gastronómico gave NAFIN a document that explained that in order to stock the list of food for their cafeterias, the company would need MXN $3,272,140 , 17% more than NAFIN 's maximum budget .

Some of the priciest items on the list include:

1. 300 kilos of fresh Chilean salmon

for MXN $118,800

2. 1 kilo of smoked salmon

for MXN $1,496

3. 2,100 beers

for MXN $42,750

4. 294 packages of mineral water

for MXN $14,502

5. 10 kilos of Spanish Serrano ham

for MXN $5,906

6. 10 kilos of Roquefort cheese

for 14,000; 9 kilos of goat cheese for MXN 2,367; 20 kilos of Parmesan cheese for MXN $2,560, and 10 kilos of cotija cheese for MXN $1,952

7. 35 kilos of ravioli

for MXN $10,150

8. 20 kilos of labneh

for MXN $2,052 and 40 packages of flatbread

9. 80 kilos of couscous

for MXN 11,600

10. 8 kilos of high-quality dates

for MXN $1,048

11. 165 kilos of hanger steak

for MXN $33,600

12. 180 of fresh tuna

for MXN $37,620

13. 65 kilos of shrimp

for MXN $12,298

14. 200 of meat

for MXN 37,180

The NAFIN also bought 16 bottles of silver cleaner.

In 2019, Pigudi Gastronómico was awarded 5 contracts with federal institutions to manage cafeterias or serve food during events at the National Free Textbooks Commission (Conaliteg), Doctor Manuel Gea González General Hospital, Conacyt, and the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

On May 3, President López Obrador issued a memorandum for public servants , where he indicated that additional austerity measures should be implemented, including an additional 30% reduction of the food budget for public servants.

Mexico’s Science and Technology Council spends MXN$15 million on gourmet food

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