Polish authorities have recently imposed a strict ban on the import of two large shipments of dried plums and frozen raspberries, citing severe food safety violations.
Live and Dead Pests
The decision was announced by the Main Inspectorate of Commercial Quality of Agricultural and Food Products (IJHARS). It shows Poland's commitment to ensuring the quality and safety of food products entering the country, according to WP.
The ban specifically targets two batches of dried plums with pits, weighing a total of 39,916 kg, which were imported from the United States.
According to the IJHARS statement, the presence of both live and dead pests was discovered in the plums, leading to an immediate halt of their distribution within Poland.
Bans in Other Parts as Well
Similarly, IJHARS recently issued two decisions prohibiting the entry of 42,000 kg of frozen raspberries from Ukraine. The reason for the ban was the detection of mold and the unusual coloration of the berries, raising concerns about the products' safety for consumption.
These actions are part of a broader effort by Polish food safety inspectors, who between January 1 and June 30, 2024, issued 167 decisions blocking the import of various foreign food products.
The majority of these bans — 124 in total — were related to imports from Ukraine, followed by 14 from the United Kingdom and 10 from Serbia.
Dr. Tomasz Białsa, Director of the Strategy and Internal Control Office at IJHARS, emphasized that the most common violations found by inspectors involved labeling discrepancies, such as unauthorized claims of "GMO-free" status, lack of Polish language labeling, and errors in nutritional information.
