VIDEO: There Should Be No Compromises in Food Safety, Says Pashinyan

I raised the issue of food safety, specifically regarding sour cream, with all arguments stating that we should not harm the economy. This was stated today, May 24, in the National Assembly by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, responding to the question of whom the children would be consuming poor-quality dairy products in the event of a ban on dairy exports from Russia.

“I have given assignments that are only partially fulfilled. These recent events urge me to return to the initial status, and if we need to go and change the regulations within the EAEU, we should do so. I agree that there should be no compromises in the field of food safety. However, if we shut everything down in one day, we may face very serious problems concerning food safety. Therefore, yes, the issue is legitimate, and we need to solve it, but it cannot be done with a single action,” he stated.

MP Gurgen Arsenyan from the ruling party also raised another issue, stating, “There are additives that should not be in our food products, but they are being used. We need to give a specific period and say that from this day onwards, the use of additives is banned in Armenia because it is carcinogenic, and the consequences will be very expensive. Children are consuming this, and we cannot immediately understand the possible mutations in children.”

In response, Pashinyan remarked, “In 2018, I addressed the sour cream issue and asked, 'What is present?' I was told that there is no milk, only soy oil, and other additives that are not dangerous for human health. However, the fact remains that it is not sour cream. There is no such thing as we know that we are selling something dangerous for people, and we allow it. I said that we should not allow it to be labeled as sour cream. We must have a standard for sour cream. This is not only about sour cream. What is sparkling wine? It is a drink derived from a type of grape meant for champagne. We have the same problem with cognac, and therefore, we should refuse it by 2040.”

For more details, see the video.