The inspection services of the Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA) imposed fines of over EUR 19,000 in denar equivalent on food operators within the 1,221 extraordinary controls conducted before the Easter holidays. More than 272 kilograms of unsafe food were also destroyed, most of it of animal origin. In addition, more than 40 tons of unsafe eggs originating from neighboring Serbia were harmlessly destroyed at the Drisla landfill, which was prevented from being smuggled into the country.
A total of 35 decisions were issued for removal, and 6 warnings were issued for the identified inconsistencies with the extraordinary controls (placing expired food on the market, use of frozen meat (trimming) in meat preparations, improperly labeled products and other inconsistencies).
The inspections, which targeted all segments of the food chain and aimed to prevent the sale of unsafe products and suppress illegal trade before the Easter holidays, also determined that 7 of the facilities were not registered as food operators with the Agency.
Three operators had not performed mandatory health examinations for employees and did not meet the requirements regarding professional training for food handling, and 13 operators were found to have unsatisfactory hygienic and technical conditions in their work facilities.
