Citizens' health is closely related to the food they consume.

It is not uncommon for Food and Veterinary Agency inspectors, as well as municipal inspectors, to

confiscate expired items in various markets and food outlets.

Therefore, the question arises how safe are the food products consumed by citizens in our country?

The Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA) says that they work in the whole food chain so that the products that are bought for consumption are healthy, while the chairman of the Non-Governmental Organization "Consumer", Selatin Kaçaniku, estimates that in Kosovo there is a lack of inspectors for food safety oversight.

The Information Officer at the Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA), Lamir Thaçi in a statement for the Telegraph said that the FVA in Kosovo works in the entire food chain so that the products that are bought for consumption are healthy.

He said that all actions taken by the FVA are regulated by law and mandatory as an authority in implementation.

According to Thaçi, only foods that meet the legal safety criteria are allowed on the market.

"Safe food has no alternative.

The Food and Veterinary Agency works throughout the food chain to ensure that the products purchased for consumption are healthy.

It is a wide complex field, which requires vigilance in supervision, professionalism in controls and science in analysis, to achieve the effect of 'being called controlled food'.

All actions that the FVA undertakes are regulated by law and are mandatory for us as the implementing authority.

"Only foods that meet the legal safety criteria are allowed to circulate in the market," he said.

Lamir Thaçi, Information Officer at the Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA).

From January until today, according to Thaçi, 75,675 kg of meat and meat products and 147,197 kg / lit have been destroyed.

milk and dairy products, statistics from the veterinary sector.

Whereas, from the Phytosanitary sector during this year, according to him, 127,407.00 kg of food have been destroyed.

"Mainly products of plant origin such as: food products, trees, various, etc.

and 21,530.00 liters of carbonated drinks ", he said.

Thaçi also spoke about the import of food products coming from other countries in Kosovo.

"All food and non-food products that are subject to mandatory control by the FVA (border services of the FVA) and which pass through regular customs procedures, can not be allowed to import without performing the necessary examinations or preliminary / traceability and risk assessment, whether direct inspections that are carried out when the loads / products arrive at the Inspection Checkpoints ", he said.

At the Inspection Checkpoints (CIP), as Thaçi pointed out, the products are subject to direct inspection controls: documentation control, identity control and physical control, including sample and laboratory testing.

"After performing all stages of inspection control and necessary laboratory examinations, drawing conclusions that everything is in accordance with legal requirements, then an approval decision is issued - import permit, or in other cases the opposite."

From which countries the largest amount of products is imported and from which countries Kosovo has the right to import or export, Thaçi said that “This varies from product, from year to year, from the amount of local production and consumption… Right to import, respectively Exports are made by manufacturers from different countries and for different products, both food and non-food.

Imports are made from different countries / different manufacturers for all products that are in compliance with the requirements of local legislation.

A product that is contrary to legal requirements, regardless of the country of origin, as such can not be accepted to enter the circulation / use in the territory of the Republic of Kosovo.

Regarding the consumption of meat and slaughterhouses in the country, Thaçi said that when animals are slaughtered in licensed slaughterhouses, it means that they are controlled by inspectors authorized to check the health status of the animal before slaughter, during and after slaughter.

"Then the certification of meat (stamping-stamping of meat) for permission to sell in the market for consumption.

These are rules of procedure, as we are dealing with the control of animals before, during and after slaughter by the veterinary inspector.

While in cases when we are dealing with illegal slaughterhouses, which are encountered exercising illegal activities of slaughtering animals without any veterinary control.

There is a potential risk here that could pose a risk to consumer health.

In all these cases when closed, the closure is made and court proceedings are initiated.

"In most cases, we act together with the police", Thaçi further stated.

While, when we talk about poultry meat and their products, Thaçi said that in the last two years poultry farms are endangered by the outbreak of infectious disease of birds "Avian Influenza".

"Even now we have active crisis headquarters and in each suspected case all actions are taken to prevent and fight the disease.

Cases that are positive, measures are taken to eradicate poultry present on family farms but also in cases of commercial farms.

"As the only measure to prevent the spread", said Thaçi, among others.

Meanwhile, the activist of the Kosovar organization for the protection of the rights, interests and dignity of the consumer "Consumer", Selatin Kaçaniku. Regarding the food security consumed by the citizens of Kosovo, said that food security is in direct proportion to the level of implementation of laws, fulfillment of the mandates of the Assembly and the Government of Kosovo, institutions, mechanisms, agencies, regulators… and the degree of their politicization (privatization) ”.

However, he said that food security also depends on the level of vigilance and vigilance of the citizen, the consumer family: on the level of information, education, culture and emancipation and awareness of the citizen about his rights and obligations and interests and dignity.

Selatin Kaçaniku - President of the Non-Governmental Organization "Consumer"

"This obligation (unfulfilled) belongs to the Government, MINT and institutions, regulators, agencies, etc.", he said.

But, what are the risks faced by the consumer in consuming food that comes from imports, Kaçanik stressed that there are many.

"The first is the non-recognition of the consumer by the Government or by MINT.

Producers outside Kosovo produce as much quality and food security as Kosovo has the capacity of institutes and laboratories, but also human resources, to detect / identify / ascertain deficiencies / fraud / abuse….

When entering the border, the documentation is highly trusted, while the random sample control form, which is about 1%, is not sufficient.

"Controls / inspections are insufficient and, not infrequently, are politicized."

Asked if Kosovo has enough inspectors to oversee food safety, he said: “No.

There is also no willingness to motivate inspections in terms of personnel, technical and financial.

"Smuggling of food, from outside and inside, as well as drugs is increasing.

They are especially dangerous during the summer season.

Therefore, I advise citizens and consumer families to maximally increase alertness, vigilance and vigilance ", said Kaçaniku.

/ Telegraphy /