The samples taken and tested at the State laboratory of the Kapitan Andreevo Border Checkpoint cannot be manipulated. This was stated by the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Plamen Abrovsky to journalists following an inspection of the organization and the implementation of official control by the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) over food and goods of animal and plant origin entering the EU territory through the border crossing. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Prof. Krum Nedelkov and the Executive Director of the BFSA Prof. Svetla Yancheva, alongside representatives of the Customs Agency and the Chief Directorate of Border Police, also took part in the inspection.
Minister Abrovsky clarified that the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint is the largest land border crossing in Europe and the second largest in the world, which imposes exceptionally high requirements on the organization of control. He reminded that a week ago, all computer configurations used in the control activities were replaced. "We replaced all the computer equipment not because there was a problem, but to put an end to all speculations on the subject. The computers are brand new, unpacked on-site, and it should be known that they have nothing to do with the sampling and testing process," he added. The Minister was adamant that pesticide residue analyses are conducted exclusively by the state laboratory of the BFSA at the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint.
The Head of the Border Control Department at the BFSA, Dr. Atanas Atanasov, explained that the TRACES NT system automatically determines which shipments are subject to enhanced control and sampling. "The human factor in the selection of samples has been completely eliminated. The system automatically designates which consignments are to be sampled in accordance with European requirements," he specified.
Minister Abrovsky further informed that since the beginning of the enhanced control, daily reporting has been introduced for all milk processors regarding the quantities and origin of incoming raw milk, and in the next phase, the control will be extended to Bulgarian production as well. Regarding the enhanced control over imported raw milk, Minister Abrovsky emphasized that every shipment undergoes laboratory testing, and the products remain under state control until the results are available. The Minister of Agriculture was adamant that the state will not back down from the strict control and reminded that, until now, no one had been tracking the amount of raw milk entering the dairies or its origin. "Our sole purpose is to guarantee that Bulgarian consumers receive high-quality and safe food," he stated.
For her part, the Executive Director of the BFSA, Prof. Svetla Yancheva, announced that some of the laboratory analyses conducted have shown deviations in the quality of the inspected deliveries. "Non-compliance with regulatory quality standards was found in about 24% of the samples analyzed in May. This is a serious indicator that justifies the need for enhanced official control," she emphasized.