Ida Ismail
The latest audit of the Supreme State Audit Office (SSA) to the National Food Authority (AKU) has highlighted serious problems in the way food safety is controlled in Albania, from a weak and ineffective chain that allows unsafe products to circulate freely on the market.
One of the most egregious cases, according to the HFSA audit, is related to a notification from the European Food Safety Authority (RASFF). This system signaled the presence of a dangerous pesticide, Tebuconazole, in strawberries, at levels several times above European Union norms.
However, the SAI underlines that the National Food Authority (AKU) did not take immediate measures to block or destroy the product. Instead of responding urgently, the institutions failed to stop its spread on the market, exposing consumers to risk. The situation becomes even more absurd when considering the fact that for decades there has been no clear guideline on maximum pesticide levels for this product. Only in 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development adopted a guideline, which controversially sets limits much higher than European Union standards.
Even when violations are identified, the response remains inadequate. One company involved in this case was fined only 200 thousand lekë, a measure that the audit considers disproportionate in relation to the risk caused. Instead of suspending the activity or prosecuting it, the SAI emphasizes that the entity continued to operate, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of the punitive mechanisms.
Another critical sector is olive oil. The audit reveals that around 75% of the samples analyzed result in problems, including the presence of banned pesticides.
But the problem is not only in the quality of the product. Out of 199 entities active in the market, only 9 were included in the testing process. Even within this limited number, the distribution has been uneven: one entity with 13 samples, while the others only 1 or 2. This selective control approach, according to the audit, does not really reflect the level of risk in the market and leaves room for unidentified abuses.
In some cases, inspections were carried out up to 16 days after the laboratory results were released. During this time, products continued to be sold normally on the market, showing a deep gap between risk identification and institutional response.
One of the most serious problems identified is the lack of traceability. Samples are often not accompanied by clear lot identification, making it impossible to track the product in the supply chain. In some cases, the audit found that even for blocked products, there is no complete documentation on their disposal, creating a situation where authorities are unable to prove whether dangerous products have actually been eliminated from the market.
The audit also reveals major problems in the import of food products. Documented cases show that meat-based products were brought into the country with incorrect or inadequate certificates. In another case, millions of eggs were imported and placed on the market without full controls, increasing the risk to consumers. In some cases, it was even not possible to link the product to its origin through documentation, compromising the entire traceability process.
Even more alarming is the lack of documentation for the disposal of hazardous products. For hundreds of liters of olive oil and tons of meat products, there is no clear evidence whether they were disposed of or ended up back on the market. This creates a real risk that contaminated products will end up back on consumers' tables.
The audit also highlights significant shortcomings in the control of meat being traded, especially for animals with zoonotic diseases. "There is no evidence that the conditions set for consumption have actually been implemented. Also, there is no traceability for the disposal of confiscated products, creating a direct risk to public health," the KLSH report states.
Beyond the specific cases, the audit also highlights a deeper institutional problem: the lack of coordination and unified standards in food control. Inspection practices vary from region to region, while different measures are applied to similar cases, weakening the credibility and effectiveness of the system.
The audit findings reveal a systemic problem: formal control on paper, but ineffective in practice. From the limited number of samples taken, to the lack of timely response, lack of coordination and to the failure in traceability, all links in the chain present serious weaknesses, leaving open the possibility that unsafe products reach the consumer without stopping./acqj.al
