After around 103 tonnes of expired meat destined for Kosovo were impounded in Montenegro, Agriculture Minister Armend Muja told Ekonomia Online that one of the broadest campaigns to inspect meat products ever undertaken in Kosovo is currently under way.
He said he had been in continuous communication with Montenegrin institutions over the situation and announced that a meeting would be held next week to discuss the incident and other issues of mutual importance.
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“I want to inform you that, as we are in the final phase of the official inspection, Kosovo and the Food Agency are carrying out one of the largest meat inspection operations in the history of the Republic of Kosovo. We have been in contact with the Montenegrin authorities. Next week, we will make a visit specifically to discuss this matter and other issues. I assure you that all measures have been taken and will be taken if any legal provision is violated. I assure you of my personal commitment and that of the ministry to addressing every problem, especially in the meat sector. Whenever the Food Agency discovers a violation, I swear that, after the formal procedures have been completed, the public will be notified and informed, as will you. But we are dealing with this case,” Muja said.
The minister’s comments came after an incident in September, when a shipment of 24 tonnes of frozen beef that had expired and originated in Brazil, destined for the Kosovo company “Apetit SHPK,” was stopped by Montenegrin authorities at the Port of Bar.
Earlier, Montenegrin authorities had also seized three additional containers of beef, weighing a total of 77 tonnes. In all, the amount of expired meat involved was around 102 tonnes.
According to reports by the Montenegrin newspaper Vijesti, the shipment was bound for Kosovo, but an inspection at the port revealed that its expiration date had passed.
Montenegrin Customs had also said that employees of the Kosovo company had been involved in changing the labels showing the meat’s use-by date at the Port of Bar.
