Violations Reported at Vanadzor Meat Retail Outlets: Food Safety Authority

The Food Safety Inspection Body of the Republic of Armenia continues to monitor compliance with established norms at fresh meat sales points throughout the country. This was reported by the information and public relations department of the agency.

In the framework of ongoing monitoring of the meat and meat products sales network in the Lori region, a verification visit was conducted at the meat retail outlets located in the Vanadzor market, attended by the head of the Food Safety Inspection Body, Gevorg Avetisyan, Lori Governor Andrey Ghukasyan, and Vanadzor Mayor Mamikon Aslanyan.

Although some violations were recorded in Vanadzor's meat stalls, the head of the Food Safety Authority confessed that he had expected a worse picture. Aside from two or three sales points that were simply closed (most likely due to prior notification of official visits), all other sales outlets had refrigerators, hot and cold running water, accompanying documentation, and sanitary-hygienic conditions that were satisfactory.

“A crucial condition for achieving success in our work is consistency. All closed sales points must be checked, and if they do not comply with established norms, their operations must be suspended,” instructed Gevorg Avetisyan to the head of the Lori regional center of the Food Safety Authority.

Identified violations included the absence of sanitary passports for meat sellers, the improper hygienic condition of meat cutting boards, and the lack of appropriate clothing, among others. A deadline was set for addressing these deficiencies.

During a working discussion at the Lori Governor's office after the inspection, the issue of the illegality of street trading was also addressed. “This issue is under our direct attention, and persistent efforts are underway to prohibit the sale of food on the streets and protect the population from various diseases and infections,” assured Governor Andrey Ghukasyan.

At the Vanadzor Technological Center, Gevorg Avetisyan also had the opportunity to present the requirements for the sale of fresh meat to the leaders of communities in the Lori region. He reiterated that since August 1, 2019, the Food Safety Inspection Body has been conducting ongoing monitoring of all major public catering facilities in the country to verify the authenticity of the slaughterhouse origin of the fresh meat being used.

The speaker informed that the current number of operating slaughterhouses in the country is sufficient to meet the state order and the demand for fresh meat in public catering facilities, emphasizing that as of January 15, 2020, the slaughterhouse origin of fresh meat will be mandatory for all operators in the food chain.

“I assure you that the monitoring will be consistent, inspections will be regular, and everything will be done to identify and eliminate deficiencies and violations. All measures of administrative liability established by legal acts will also be applied,” stated the head of the Food Safety Authority.