There are reports of threats from shop owners and slaughterhouses to BFSA employees who carry out inspections. In Vratsa, a threat of self-harm was also made to our colleague. This happens daily, we have to resort to police assistance. This was said by the executive director of BFSA, Dr. Angel Mavrovski, on the air of “Wake Up” on NOVA.
“Even if there were umbrellas over some traders, they fell”, added Marvovski.
We have signals that Greek cucumbers are being repackaged in our country and are arriving at consumers as Bulgarian, inspections are currently underway, he said.
On Friday, seven inspections were carried out on sites that were operating illegally, they offered various types of food, fish, some were even warehouses, said Mavrovski. He stressed that six of the sites have been closed.
Regarding the closed slaughterhouse in Plovdiv, he pointed out that the hygiene at the site was extremely low, and “colleagues are shocked”.
Mavrovski gave another example of a slaughterhouse in Debelets, where dying animals were taken there to be slaughtered. “There were probably some who died”, added the expert. He gave another such example with a slaughterhouse in Lovech - with dead cows taken to slaughterhouses. The animals were also without seals.
Mavrovski was categorical that he and his colleagues would not allow children in kindergartens to be fed with poor-quality goods.
Mavrovski also said that 800 slaughtered lambs had literally disappeared. They arrived from Romania without markings, they were probably going to receive a Bulgarian seal, he added. And he emphasized that the meat in question had no certificate and identification that it had passed veterinary control. He also explained that it was revealed how this meat got from Romania to Bulgaria.
Mavrovski said that in Ravda and Sunny Beach, food from Ukraine is being detected that should not enter our country.
The Executive Director of the Bulgarian Food Safety Authority commented that tons of food have been detected by the authorities, and “in some places the cases are heartbreaking”. He also added that “most of the discoveries” were made in Haskovo. The main foods with problems are meat and dairy products, Mavrovski said.
Regarding the ships that arrived from Argentina, Mavrovski said that six have arrived, and two more are at the ports and need to be unloaded. “We have the assurance of the producer that the quantity that will be obtained - sunflower oil and meal, will be exported”, the expert emphasized.