At the height of the debate over the shipment of salmonella-tainted chicken meat imported from Brazil, part of which was sold on the domestic market, the National Food Authority confirms that a shipment of pesticides-tainted strawberries entered the country on February 17 and 52 kg of this fruit were sold in markets and markets around the country.
In the announcement about the case, the AKU informs that the concern about these strawberry shipments, which have been found to be contaminated with pesticides, has been forwarded by RASFF, the European Commission's rapid alert system for food.
Immediately after discovering the 52 kg shipment that entered our market, the AKU says it sent samples for laboratory analysis, but the entire quantity turns out to have been sold.
The AKU further explains that it has asked all Border Points to take samples from 10 shipments and is requesting the blocking of any strawberry shipment from Greece at the border until the results of the analysis are available.
AKU ANNOUNCEMENT:
In the context of transparency and public information, the National Food Authority, announces that for each case found (on the market or at Border Inspection Points), resulting in non-compliance with the requirements and standards of the legislation in force for imported products, the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed - RASFF is notified. Regarding the case of the Strawberry product of a quantity of 52 kg, imported from the State of Greece, the NFA, based on the Risk-Based Monitoring Plan, implemented the delivery procedure on February 17, 2025 for laboratory analysis and after the result was released, it was committed through the traceability system to collect and withdraw this quantity of strawberries from the market. Based on the sales invoices submitted by the Food Business Operator, the entire quantity was sold.
Immediately after this incident, the National Food Authority conducted a risk assessment for this product and categorized it as high risk. For this, all Border Inspection Points were contacted to sample 10 consecutive shipments and block each strawberry shipment at the border until the results of the analysis of each sample are available for the product that can continue to be imported from Greece.
The purpose of ordering such blockages in the BIP is to await any results of the analysis of the samples in such cases. Based on these results, it will be determined whether the imports will be allowed for trade within the Albanian territory or will be returned to the country of origin. Regarding the media statement of the three cases of notification of the AKU by the RASFF system, we would like to inform you that it was the AKU that notified the RASFF system as a result of the correct implementation of the monitoring and sampling plans, both in the domestic market and at the border (BIP). (A2 Televizion)
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