Food safety

A group of 22 pupils from the northern Greek city of Florina were being treated for food poisoning in a hospital in Crete over the weekend.

The pupils, who were on a 5-day school trip, were returning to Iraklio after spending the day in the western part of the island on Sunday, when a number of them displayed symptoms of gastroenteritis.

Consumer watchdog slams Reference Laboratories

BELGRADE -- The National Organization of Consumers of Serbia (NOPS) says the launch of the National Reference Laboratory was "the pinnacle of the deception of the public."

BELGRADE - The final element that was waiting to be added to Serbia's food safety control system, the Directorate for National Reference Laboratories (DNRL), officially started work on Monday.

Renzo Daviddi, the deputy head of EU Delegation, said Thursday that the country has to raise standards and adopt the necessary veterinary and food safety legislation to be allowed to export milk to the EU. 

Daviddi said there were a lot of technical issues to be solved by various institutions but political will was needed to make a breakthrough.

As of December 13 the new EU Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers comes into effect, reports the BGNES wire service.

All essential information on contents of processed foods and drinks and best before date must be in one area of the label, in large legible print.

Bulgaria's National Revenue Agency and the Food Safety Agency will carry out large-scale inspections of food markets throughout the country.

Check-ups will be conducted until the end of the year, as the aim is to tighten control on the unauthorized import of fruits, vegetables and foods of animal origin, Darik news reports.

BELGRADE - A project meant to improve facilities for the production of animal source foods and management of animal by-products will be completed by 2016, and the EU has decided to grant Serbia EUR 2 million for the project.

Three die of Listeria infection

SKOPJE -- Three persons died in Macedonia during the past month as a consequence of infection with the Listeria bacteria.

Seven cases in all have been registered in the Balkan country in the same period of time.

Bulgaria's National Revenue Agency (NRA) has added 53 items to the list of high fiscal risk goods.

The new entries include different types of fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, etc, according to the NRA.

Inspectors from Bulgarian Regional Food Safety Directorates in the floods-damaged areas are taking urgent measures to prevent food-borne illnesses and infectious animal diseases.

The production, storage and marketing sites for wholesale and retail foods will be inspected in order to prevent any foodstuffs unsafe for human consumption to enter the markets, Nova Tv reports.