“In Dulovo we found food that was unfit for consumption, which had expired, there is no information about its origin and there is no necessary documentation. We stopped meat that was about to enter the food chain. No one keeps such quantities without intending to sell them”. He stated this in the program “Crossroads” the executive director of the Bulgarian Food Safety Authority, Dr. Angel Mavrovski, on the occasion of the destruction of over 3.5 tons of food of animal origin, which were found in a meat production and meat processing plant in the town of Dulovo, Silistra region.
He appealed to all producers of meat products, preparations and slaughterhouses: “The rules of the Bulgarian Food Safety Authority are not very special - it is simply a matter of following them. Let them clear their freezers of food that is unfit for consumption and has expired".
And he was categorical that he has full confidence in his colleagues who carry out the inspections. "There is absolutely no interference in the official control. We carry out cross-checks. One regional directorate checks another. In addition, colleagues from the central administration also carry out on-site inspections. The goal is complete transparency and the elimination of the so-called "umbrellas" that have existed so far, "Mavrovski emphasized.
According to the head of the Bulgarian Food and Drug Administration, the agency has received signals about "unregulated "calm taxis". But he was categorical that "this is already in the past". "In this particular case, we are talking about sites in the Burgas region. There, we identified sites that were operating completely illegally. Seven sites were checked, with only one having the legal right to operate. This was established through cross-checks," he gave an example.
Regarding the open outbreaks of anthrax, he emphasized that there is currently one confirmed one. "Three locations have been identified where meat was transferred for processing. One is in the village of Lavino, where there is data about four buffaloes that were sick or died, but their meat was intended to enter the food chain. We also have a case where meat and parts of carcasses were dumped in a landfill, probably after the information about anthrax spread," explained Dr. Mavrovski.
Immediate inspections were carried out, including on-site at the outbreak in Silistra. The landfill was disinfected and buried in accordance with all requirements. However, investigations are continuing to fully trace the path of the meat and whether there are other affected locations, he stressed.
"The animals were treated, but the first case of anthrax was identified about 35 days ago - on election day, after laboratory results. Action was taken immediately - burial, sampling, epidemiological investigation and search of all related sites. The owners of the animals did not obstruct the inspections. They were not aware of the risk. One of them even wanted to keep the meat, which actually represents a biological hazard. After talks and assistance from industry organizations, the situation was brought under control," explained the head of the Bulgarian Food Safety Authority.
Regarding the foot-and-mouth disease and animal pox that were detected, Mavrovski was categorical that at the moment there is no evidence that these diseases have reached Bulgaria, but the risk is serious. "I want to emphasize that with anthrax we have isolated cases, but it is treatable. Foot-and-mouth disease spreads quickly and can lead to mass destruction of animals. Regarding pox, four outbreaks have already been eliminated thanks to good organization. We hope there will be no new cases," he said and added.