In North Macedonia, over the past two years, more than 65 tonnes of returned food and 1,500 tonnes kept under unsuitable conditions have been recorded. Oliver Millanov, director of the Food and Veterinary Agency, considers it strange that countries in the region have returned locally produced goods which, according to analyses, have been found to be safe.
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The most recent returns were made by Bulgaria, Croatia and Serbia. These countries rejected food products from farmers in North Macedonia, claiming that they contained pesticides above permitted limits. It has still not been clarified why these products were sent back to their country of origin instead of being confiscated and destroyed. Meanwhile, there are suspicions that they ended up on the domestic market. The Food and Veterinary Agency claims that its quality controls have not uncovered any irregularities.
Explaining the problems with the returned products, director Oliver Milanov said that the cause was related to inaccuracies in their declaration by food operators, and not to any misuse. He urged operators and producers to exercise care when declaring their products, while calling on consumers to be aware of the food they consume. According to him, the analyses conducted show that these are safe, high-quality products, including not only meat and milk but also other food categories.
The agency estimates that routine market inspections should be accompanied by stricter measures against operators who violate food-safety regulations.
Regarding the results of these inspections, Milanov announced that 2 tonnes of products had been blocked the previous day, while a further 6 tonnes had been stopped during the current day. /Alsat.
