80% of the first frozen chicken, 3 tons in total, that arrived to Greece from Brazil were contaminated with salmonella, the Panhellenic Federation of Public Geo-technical Engineers revealed at a press conference on Saturday, May 2, 216. It was the first batch of chicken imported by Greece within the trade agreement of Mercosur with the European Union.
The issue raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the European Union’s control mechanisms and the safety of imported food are raised by findings from controls carried out on frozen chickens that came from Brazil to our country, within the framework of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, which provoked strong reactions from producers and livestock farmers, but was ultimately signed – with the consent of ND MEPs.
According to results from the veterinary laboratories of Agia Paraskevi, suburb of Athens, approximately 80% of the first batches tested were found to be contaminated with salmonella, something that led to their immediate return.
This fact was confirmed at a press conference by the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Geo-technical Engineers, Nikos Kakavas, raising strong concerns about the adequacy of controls on imported products.
The incident comes at a time of strong reactions to the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, which is in the process of ratification.
Nikos Kakavas spoke of serious impacts on the primary sector, arguing that the expansion of imports undermines domestic production. At the same time, he stressed that veterinary services operate with staff shortages that does not exceed 40% of the positions, which directly affects the effectiveness of controls.
Note that the Hellenic Food authority (EFET) has not issued any statement on the issue, so far.
It is recalled that the agreement was provisionally applied on May 1, “offering immediate and tangible benefits for businesses, workers and EU citizens”. For the final approval of the agreement, the consent of the European Parliament is needed.
The EU-Mercosur trade agreement, triggered strong reactions across the block, mainly from producers and livestock farmers, but it was ultimately signed, also with the consent of New Democracy MEPs.
