The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) continues its intensified border and domestic inspections, preventing the release on the market of 11.6 tons of pepper with an excessive content of pesticides that entered through the “Zlatarevo“ border checkpoint, and ordered the destruction of 100 kilograms of lamb meat and by-products without documents of origin at a dairy near Kresna.
11.6 tons of pepper with a dangerous pesticide were returned
During the intensified border control, BFSA inspectors detected an excessive content of the pesticide formetanate in an imported shipment of 11.6 tons of pepper originating from the Republic of North Macedonia.
The shipment entered Bulgaria through the “Zlatarevo“ border checkpoint and was intended for a commercial operator in Petrich. After the sample was taken, the cargo was placed under seizure and stored in a cold storage until the laboratory results were released.
After it was established that the permissible levels of the pesticide were exceeded, the Bulgarian Food Safety Authority ordered the shipment to be returned to the supplier. With the assistance of the Customs Agency“, the goods were returned to the Republic of North Macedonia and were not allowed to enter the Bulgarian market.
The agency specifies that the enhanced border control continues. So far, 35 samples of fresh vegetables taken at the “Zlatarevo“ and the “Gyueshevo” border checkpoints have been analyzed – 22 samples of pepper and 13 samples of tomatoes originating from North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania.
Since August 3, 2026, the Bulgarian Food Safety Authority, together with the Commission on Commodity Exchanges and Markets, the National Revenue Agency and the Ministry of Interior, has been carrying out thematic inspections of tomatoes, peppers, peaches and watermelons both at border crossings and in the trade network. The control covers the safety, quality, origin and traceability of the production, and documentary, physical and laboratory checks are carried out for the presence of residual amounts of pesticides.
100 kg of lamb meat without origin found in a dairy near Kresna
During another inspection, inspectors of the Regional Directorate for Food Safety – Blagoevgrad, with the assistance of the Directorate of the Ministry of Interior – Blagoevgrad, found 100 kilograms of lamb meat and by-products without documents of origin in a dairy and livestock facility in the village of Slivnitsa, Kresna municipality.
The inspection was carried out after a report was filed.
About 100 sheep were found in the livestock facility, for whose movement a notification was not submitted within the statutory period. An act of establishing an administrative violation was drawn up for the violation.
During the inspection in the registered facility for processing goat and sheep milk, 55 kg of lamb meat and by-products were found without documents of origin and without the necessary marking. In a neighboring room, which is not part of the dairy and is not registered under the Food Act, the inspectors found another 45 kg of chilled lamb meat, also without documents and markings.
The inspection also found that the site does not have a registered and approved slaughterhouse, as well as the necessary conditions for storing meat and meat products. According to the Bulgarian Food Safety Authority, this raises suspicions of unregulated slaughter and storage of meat in an unregistered site.
Two acts of administrative violations were drawn up against the owner. An order for prohibition, a prescription and an order for the identified meat and by-products to be sent for destruction were issued.
The Bulgarian Food Safety Authority states that enhanced official control will continue in order to prevent unregulated production, slaughter, storage and trade in food, as well as to guarantee the safety and protection of consumers.