The news that Germany discovered the hepatitis A virus in a frozen mixed berry product originating from Serbia has once again raised questions about the safety of food intended for export, as well as products available on the domestic market.
This is not an isolated case, given that similar warnings have been recorded in previous years, further heightening public concern. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of Serbia’s food control system.
Hepatitis A, also known as the “dirty hands disease”, is most commonly transmitted through contaminated water, food, or inadequate hygiene during the production and processing stages.
Although food is less frequently cited as the primary route of transmission, cases linked to frozen fruit indicate that even a single failure in the chain of production, processing, or storage can have serious consequences – both for consumer health and for the reputation of the domestic food industry and exports.
Food technologist Ivan Smajlović told Insajder that the case points to serious weaknesses in the food control system and the possible misuse of Serbia as a transit zone for the re-export of goods of questionable origin. Speaking about the disputed shipment, Smajlović stated that, according to information published publicly, around 30 per cent of the fruit originated from Serbia, while the remainder had been imported from Poland.
“Shipments arriving from countries such as Egypt, Turkey, or Albania, which are not members of the European Union and where standards are lower, may be contaminated with hepatitis,” Smajlović said. He also claims that part of such goods is redirected to Serbia for cheaper packaging and the possible alteration of the product’s stated origin.
“They redirect that merchandise to Serbia so that cheaper packaging can be carried out here, because the goods arrive in bulk. It is easier for companies in Serbia to handle the packaging, after which a certain percentage of domestic fruit is added as well,” Smajlović stated.
He added that it was illogical that domestic controls had failed to identify the problem before export. “That is completely absurd – supposedly there is no contamination in this 30 per cent, but there is contamination in the other 70 per cent, even though everything was packaged together and shipped as one consignment,” he assessed.
Smajlović believes that the issue is not an isolated incident, but a systemic one. “There is no real system – we have already concluded that. We are practising exactly the same thing that Poland does: importing goods and carrying out re-export,” he said.
He also assessed that Serbia has a large number of laboratories, but that the key state institution responsible for food safety control is not functioning at full capacity. “The Directorate for the National Reference Laboratory, which is supposed to conduct those controls and monitor the market, is simply not operating,” Smajlović stated. Also, according to him, the control system in practice functions through private laboratories, while the state institution remains inactive.
“There is no analytical control by the inspection authorities; samples are not being taken and analysed to a sufficient extent. For the most part, they rely on declarations,” he concluded.
(Morava Info, 18.05.2026)