Bulgaria’s Food Safety Agency (BFSA) is cracking down on what it says are poor-quality and rotten fruit and vegetables that have been imported into the country from neighbouring countries – in particular Greece.
The agency confirmed it had started mass inspections of fresh fruit and vegetables shipments arriving via crossing points on its borders with Greece and Macedonia.
This follows a series of reported raids on markets, exchanges, auctions, wholesalers and retail stores in the country last week.
According to the BFSA’s press department, the inspections are designed to tackle imports of sub-standard fruit and vegetables, some of which it said were “inedible”.
“Inspectors will monitor compliance with the stated quality of the goods and the required supporting documents - of origin labeling, invoices and others,” a spokesperson commented.
As a result of last week’s raid, a total of 19 tonnes of rotten fruit and vegetables – products that contravened the food safety rules that protect Bulgarian consumers – were apparently recalled and destroyed.
