Intensified inspections of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency are being carried out before the holidays. To ensure that nothing spoiled or suspicious will end up on our table, inspectors are touring the entire country and testing the quality of food and, of course, its suitability.
Over the past week, inspectors from the Food Agency have carried out 163 inspections at sites in Blagoevgrad region. "They have identified meat of unclear origin, which is prohibited and is about to be sent for destruction, as it is of unclear and unproven origin and cannot be left for sale in the retail network", explained the head of the "Food Control" department, Dr. Tsvetana Dzhogova.
"We have closed 5 sites, with an order to suspend the site's activities. We have established that they are not registered under the Food Act and have issued an order", said the director of the Bulgarian Food Safety Authority in Blagoevgrad, Dr. Kalina Milusheva.
Inspections are carried out in all establishments where food is offered. The attention of the control authorities is also seriously focused on the resorts. "In Bansko, in connection with the opening of the winter tourist season, all hotels that offer all inclusive and the rest, so everything that is expected to reach the table, is under the focus of the inspectors", added Dr. Milusheva.
Intensified purchases of sweets from stores are made during this period of the year. "The most common violations we find during inspections are expired goods, improper food storage, and poor hygiene", reported Dr. Dzhogova.
Traditionally, online shopping is also increasing, as it is now fashionable to buy food online. However, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency advises that before buying something online, we should check on their Agency's website whether the person we are buying from is properly registered. "I appeal to them not to shop in unregulated places where there are no registered establishments under the Food Act. Such are the sidewalks, it happens that eggs, bacon, vegetables are offered that we have not registered under the Act. We accept and process online signals, we have teams on duty throughout the country, for weekends and holidays," Dr. Milusheva urged.
The sanctions for violators range from 2 to 10 thousand leva.
Dr. Kremena Stoeva from the "Food Control" department at the Bulgarian Food and Drug Administration (BFSA) told NOVA that 250 sites have been inspected so far. "Eight prescriptions and one act have been issued," she added.
According to her, the inspections will continue until March 14. "I would draw customers' attention to shopping in regulated sites, as well as to being careful when purchasing food from markets without labels," she added, specifying that the greatest danger lies in meat products.
"We have destroyed 600 kg. meat, without clear origin, offered in markets since the beginning of the BFSA campaign," announced Dr. Stoeva.
Source: FOCUS