Peppers and grapes from Bulgaria and Montenegro, returned over pesticides, end up on the Macedonian market — Food Agency: our tests found no residue

Four shipments of peppers and table grapes that were returned from Bulgaria and Montenegro, after excessive pesticide residues were found in those countries, have ended up on the North Macedonian market after additional laboratory analyses, as Sloboden Pechat reports.

According to the Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA), in the past three months four shipments were returned to the country — three with peppers and one with black table grapes. After their return, the FVA conducted additional checks and domestic analyses showed no presence of pesticide residues. The two pepper shipments from Bulgaria were analyzed in accredited laboratories, while samples from the second shipment were also tested at the state phytosanitary laboratory and the laboratory in Strumica. The results were negative, after which the shipments were cleared for sale or further processing, Sloboden Pechat reports.

Also, 14 tons of black table grapes returned from Montenegro were cleared for sale or processing after additional analyses. In contrast, a shipment of red “kurtovska kapija” peppers returned from Croatia was harmlessly destroyed.

In the same period, the FVA also received four notifications from Croatia through the European Rapid Alert System for food (RASFF), concerning around 50 tons of Macedonian fruit and vegetables, among them plums and peppers. Part of the shipments was destroyed, part was held at the border and never entered circulation, as Sloboden Pechat reports.