Andrey Velchev to FACTI: If you want quality food, you need to track the products from farm to table

Amid the increasingly tense debate about food quality in the European Union, about the place of Bulgarian producers and about the real protection of consumers, Bulgaria received unusually strong attention during the 10th annual conference of SAFE – one of the leading European food safety organizations. From the role of labels, to hidden compromises in quality, from geographical indications, to the collapse of the food donation system… Andrey Velchev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association “For Affordable and Quality Food“, spoke to FACTI.

- Mr. Velchev, you represented Bulgaria at the highest European level during the 10th annual conference of SAFE. What was the main message of the forum?
- Customers first. Understand by “customers“ consumers, because every person is a food consumer until their last day. Therefore, every Bulgarian citizen and every European citizen is both a consumer and a citizen at the same time.

- What does a safe, accessible and transparent food system mean at the European level?
- The question is becoming more and more complicated. If I had to paraphrase the statement of the representative of the European Forum – the equivalent of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency - I would have to say: if you want quality food, use the chains that have long offered fast food, because they meet all safety standards.

But if you want to influence quality and understand what quality food means, you need to follow the products from the farm to the table. Since every Bulgarian citizen has already become a consumer, many people find it difficult to answer how to do it.

For example: you buy nuts — it says they are from the European Union, but half of them are not typical for Europe. They are imported from countries far away (far away), including the United Arab Emirates. Thus, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe the statements and the authorities that have created this long list of directives and definitions. They are updated, and compliance with them becomes increasingly difficult. In order to comply with them, manufacturers make compromises, and we - the consumers - pay the final price. In order for the price to be affordable, daily compromises with quality must be made - as people who consume all kinds of food.

- So, is price versus quality becoming an increasingly problematic topic?
- Yes. Many topics were touched upon at the forum and to my great joy it turned out that the problems of safety and quality are the same in other European countries. Despite the efforts, it is becoming increasingly difficult to have a dialogue, because as soon as something is agreed - for example, some restrictions - and new changes are immediately imposed. There are problems everywhere.
Perhaps the most important thing is that this time the emphasis was on geographical indications - how to preserve products that EU countries have as unique, not modified.

- And how do we position ourselves when we talk about geographical indications?
- I am happy to say that we are at more than the average European level. It is clear how much effort Bulgaria has put in and that we have products for which we are popular. Colleagues from Greece admitted that we manage to preserve dairy products much better, despite the challenges, including because of the war. They assessed the state's actions towards guaranteed Bulgarian products made from Bulgarian raw materials - a problem that Greece and other countries have.
This problem already exists in Italy, Poland, and other regions.

- And regarding labels - do traders everywhere want to "please" us through the label?
- Not everywhere. But I want to avoid the topic of "prices", because we all see how much they have risen and how difficult it would be to regulate them. This is a problem throughout the EU.

- What foods do they recognize us with in the European Union?
- An interesting fact is that even Gornooryahovski sudzhuk is something that we are known for. And other meat products. They asked us why Bulgaria does not have a product like the popular Spanish dried ham - with high prices and a big name? We are doing well - not only Gornooryahovsky, but all types of sudzhuks and sausages.
A colleague from Serbia even hinted that we are doing better than them. On the website of the Institute for Geographical Indications you can see — we have such products. And yogurt continues to have its place, despite the problems in the industry (industry) in recent years.

- The topic of meatballs was raised at the forum. What can be a meatball… What is the case?
- The case is whether something that is not made of meat can be called a “meatball” — for example, a vegetable. Is the shape important or the content? There were also disputes such as - can rice “milk“ be called “milk“? In other countries, a distinction is already made - the content is clearly written and things that are not made of milk are on a separate stand.

– Part of the discussions were dedicated to plastic in the food industry. How much plastic do we consume?
– Plastic packaging and utensils that come into contact with food — often containing substances such as bisphenol A, plasticizers and other chemicals — can migrate into food and pose a health risk. SAFE and we are pushing for new regulations that limit such materials and promote safe, reusable or recyclable solutions. The emphasis was very serious. Business representatives showed new types of packaging that are the future.

The problem is significant in Italy, France, Germany. It is not just about the difficult recycling, but also about the impact on the product itself.

Years ago, there were cases in which bread smelled of detergent because it was stored next to such goods. Today, there are complaints about a “plastic” aroma in vacuum-packed meats and the migration of microparticles from the packaging. In Bulgaria, an additional risk is the common practice of using disposable packaging - yogurt buckets or bottles - multiple times.

– However, the biggest topic of the forum was food waste. What do the trends show?
– The problem is huge both in Europe and in our country. During the forum, it was pointed out that the food donation system in Bulgaria is cumbersome, with low efficiency and weak capacity, compared to European models. This includes bureaucratic obstacles, lack of incentives and slow procedures.

Large chains want to donate according to the European model, but the process in our country often blocks.

Restaurants and establishments have food that can be donated, but do not do so due to regulations. That is why local campaigns by small and larger companies are observed. Our goal is for Bulgaria to return to its natural place - a nation that is compassionate and helps, and does not allow food to be thrown away while people remain hungry.