People in Serbia, it seems quite by chance, found out that paprika-flavour crisps contain carcinogenic substances and that is why it was destroyed.
The problem was reported by Croatia, which did not let the problematic crisps into the country. The authorities in Serbia did not publicly say anything until the news was published. The state did not inform the public about as many as nine consignments of different goods from Serbia that, since the beginning of 2023, were not allowed to leave the country because they were found to be too dangerous to health. And this list is long and worrying.
Thus, a month ago, on July 7, peaches grown in our country were returned from the border with Slovenia because they contained the insecticide chlorpyrifos. After contact with this insecticide, consumers may experience various effects on the nervous system, such as headache, blurred vision, increased salivation, seizures, and in extreme cases, depending on the amount and length of exposure, coma and death, according to the American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no information about what happened to this product in Serbia.
On June 20, and then again on July 7 at the border with Bulgaria, the inspection determined that aflatoxin B1, which is the most toxic of all aflatoxins, was found in livestock feed from Serbia. However, no measures, such as destroying the feed, were taken, according to the relevant European Commission’s website. It is very likely that the milk produced by the cows who took this feed ended up on our market.
Smoked salmon, produced in Serbia, was checked at the border with Croatia on July 5 and the bacterium Listeria Monocytogenes, which can often be found in various foods, was found in it. The bacterium causes the disease listeriosis, which most often passes as inflammation of the meninges and can also cause inflammation of the brain, while pregnant women may be at risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. The product has been withdrawn from sale in Croatia.
Insecticide chlorpyrifos was found in a batch of nectarines grown in Serbia that were supposed to be delivered to Romania on July 12. The EC website says that all the nectarines that were intended for export at the time were destroyed.
On July 5, the border officials in Croatia determined that peanuts delivered by Serbia were not accompanied by the relevant health documents necessary for export to the EU countries. These goods were returned, and then, as stated on the EC website, a new batch was sent out.
On April 12 of this year, Serbia exported frozen strawberries to Belgium, but the Belgian inspection established the presence of a larger quantity of cadmium than allowed. Cadmium is a metal which, if ingested in larger quantities, can have a carcinogenic effect and it can also lead to kidney damage, bone disease and anaemia. The strawberries have been withdrawn from the Belgian market.
On February 8, residues of the pesticide format-enate hydrochloride were found on apples from Serbia, which, according to the findings of the United Nations Environmental Protection Agency, can be toxic if taken orally. The permitted amount of this pesticide prescribed by the EU is 0.01 milligram per kilogramme, and the apples in question contained about 0.15 miligrams. An order was issued for these apples to be destroyed.
Another problem occurred at the border with Croatia, when on March 31, the Croatian customs ordered a herbal liqueur from Serbia to be destroyed as it contained the illegal additive Orange II.
(Nova, 08.08.2023)
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