Contaminated ice creams, DP: AKU responsible for not doing the analysis

The head of the Department of Health in the DP, Ilir Alimehmeti, has accused the National Food Authority of not doing the necessary analyzes to identify substances harmful to health, in the foods that enter Albania.

Statement of the Head of the Department of Health in DP, Ilir Alimehmeti:

Yesterday, during the report to the Assembly in the Economy and Finance Committee, the High State Control brought back to attention the scandal of the sale of ice creams contaminated with ethylene oxide in Albania.

To be exact, on July 27, 2021, Spain through the RASSF system (rapid notification system for population food and animal feed) notified 47 countries, including Albania, that some types of ice creams sold in our country contained ethylene oxide.

On July 30, 2021, three days later, this information was also sent by email to the head of the National Food Authority (AKU), who should have taken immediate measures to stop the circulation of contaminated ice cream.

But, despite the raising of the alarm, according to the KLSH report, 13.2 tons of ice cream contaminated with ethylene oxide were sold and consumed in Albania and only 4.3 tons were withdrawn, thus risking the health of the population, mainly our children.

Ethylene oxide is a substance classified internationally as a genotoxic and carcinogenic substance and its use in food has been completely banned since 2011, as it is a risk factor for various cancerous diseases such as lymphoma, leukemia, stomach cancer and breast cancer. Also, ethylene oxide causes damage to the reproductive system, genetic changes and damage to the nervous system.

The ethylene oxide scandal was pointed out as a contaminant in ice cream, but beware, in the past ethylene oxide has also been widely used in meat products, cereals, dairy products, dried fruits, spices, dietary supplements, milk formulas for babies, etc.

In order to detect the presence of ethylene oxide, we cannot rely only on international reports, but systematic analyzes must be carried out. According to our information, neither in 2021 nor beyond, AKU has not asked ISUV to perform these analyses.

For the above actions, the KLSH filed a criminal report with the Prosecutor's Office at the Court of First Instance in Tirana on November 10, 2021, but even this last one did not take the case further, favoring the non-confrontational behavior of the AKU towards the health of children.

The National Food Authority is responsible for overseeing food safety in Albania!

But this is not the only case where the AKU has not performed its main task, resulting in endangering people's health.

I recall here, for example, the use of large quantities of pesticides imported from China, which are considered high risk by the European Union and for which the AKU had neither a laboratory to analyze them nor a risk assessment register. theirs.

Even the problem of harmful pesticides becomes visible only when our products are blocked during export from European Union countries. As for what they consume in Albania ... nothing is said ... silence!

I remember other scandals such as the trading of eggs after the death of birds in some establishments, or the blocking and confiscation of meat traded outside of hygiene conditions, which, after confiscation, instead of being destroyed, was sent to meat processing factories and KLSH - says that "there is a possibility that this meat will be processed and reintroduced to the market".

And these were just to mention some issues that we all know and that have been reported institutionally and in the media for years!