Contaminated Irish Pork Reaches Romania, Food Safety Authority On The Watch

Over 3.5 tons of contaminated pork from Ireland, which reached a warehouse in Romania’s capital city Bucharest, were supplied to five companies located in three Romanian counties, Csutak Nagy Laszlo, vice-president of Romania’s sanitary-veterinary and food safety authority, said Wednesday.
Csutak Nagy said that 3,640 kilograms of contaminated Irish pork reached Romania via Belgium and were supplied to five companies located in Ilfov county, near Bucharest, as well as in Buzau and Olt counties, eastern and southern Romania.

He added, however, that the meat was processed and mixed with other products, which lowers the risk of contamination, stressing that the distribution network of contaminated Irish pork might extend to other counties in Romania.

Csutak Nagy also highlighted that the outcome of checkups conducted by food safety inspectors would soon provide concrete information in this respect.

The official added the inspectors of the food safety authority conducted checkups at the aforementioned warehouse on Tuesday, following notifications on the quantity of contaminated Irish pork reaching Romania.

Csutak Nagy pointed out that, starting September 1, following notifications regarding contaminated Irish pork products delivered to 11 European Union member states, except Romania, all cross border units were notified in this respect in order to check imports from Ireland.

The European Commission on Monday invited all member states to recall and check all pork products imported from Ireland after dioxins, which can potentially cause cancer, were discovered in slaughtered pigs thought to have eaten contaminated feed.