Bulgaria reported 23 times to the EC about contaminated food in September.

Bulgaria submitted 23 notifications last month within the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, with a significant portion related to detected non-compliances in foods originating from Turkey. Among the most frequent violations are exceeded levels of active substances from the group of pesticides in imported fresh vegetables – mainly in peppers and tomatoes. Multiple cases of spirotetramat, as well as other active substances not conforming to the permissible standards, have been identified, according to the Food Chain Risk Assessment Center. The data indicate serious hazards, especially with fresh products intended for direct consumption. Besides pesticide residues, mycotoxins have also been registered – mainly aflatoxins and ochratoxin A. These are found primarily in dried figs, roasted pistachios, and hazelnuts originating from Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Notifications were also submitted for elevated lead content in cocoa powder from Belarus, the presence of Listeria ...