Starting today, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) is implementing a 24-hour sampling protocol for every shipment of sunflower seeds arriving in Bulgaria from non-EU countries. This is what the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Plamen Abrovsky announced during a briefing at the Port of Varna, conducted alongside the Executive Director of the BFSA, Prof. Svetla Yancheva, PhD and representatives of the National Association of Grain Producers. The inspection took place on-site as a vessel carrying sunflower seeds from Argentina was being unloaded.
Minister Abrovsky noted that this vessel marks the twelfth arrival of such shipments in the country and the third to be unloaded at the Port of Varna. The inspection serves as a launch for a reinforced control mechanism covering the import, storage, and processing of the raw material.
"Every truck will be documented and sealed at the Port of Varna. A representative from the Food Safety Agency will be present at the storage facility to oversee the unsealing process and monitor the filling of the silos," Minister Abrovsky explained.
Once the silos are filled with the verified sunflower seeds, they will be sealed again. "Upon receiving a request for processing, the BFSA will supervise the unsealing, track the movement of the raw material to the processing plant, and monitor the subsequent transport of the final products to customs warehouses," the Minister detailed. He emphasized that this approach ensures end-to-end traceability of the entire supply chain. "Not a single grain will be allowed onto Bulgarian territory, and not a single drop of oil will be distributed in the country, without the full oversight of the competent authorities," he stated firmly.
Minister Abrovsky stressed that while processors have consistently met their obligations to date, the state is committed to ensuring visible and highly effective oversight. "We have a duty to demonstrate that the state is active and that control systems are transparent. This is essential to reassure Bulgarian citizens, our consumers, and our EU partners, given that Bulgaria acts as an external border of the Union," he added. He clarified that even in instances where pesticides are detected, the sunflower seeds are designated exclusively for toll processing and subsequent export outside the EU.
"With this strengthened control, we will be able to verify at any given moment which truck passed through, at what time, and what quantity it transported. We are upgrading our entire monitoring system," the Minister assured. Minister Abrovsky added that staff from other regional food safety directorates will be deployed to the ports if necessary, and further inspections targeting sunflower meal are also planned.