The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) will mandatorily check all shipments of raw milk and milk concentrate that enter Bulgaria, regardless of whether they come from the European Union or from third countries. So far, only 10% of the quantities imported into our country have been controlled, the Agency announced.
By order of the Executive Director of BFSA, Dr. Angel Mavrovski, milk intended for processing and sale in Bulgaria will be checked by documents, physically, for identity and for residues of antibiotics and other drugs. The samples will be sent for analysis to the accredited laboratories at the regional food safety directorates in Sofia, Shumen and Haskovo. The collection and analysis of samples will be at the expense of the business operators.
The local directorates will report to the Agency's Central Office on the number of samples taken, the results of the analyses, the violations found and the actions taken. This will ensure better supervision and traceability throughout the chain - from delivery to the final product.
The tenfold increased control over imported milk aims to reduce the risk of dairy products with antibiotic residues reaching the market and to limit the unfair competition that Bulgarian dairy producers suffer from.
Source: dariknews.bg