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Salmonella this time poisoned children in Gramsh, but how safe are we in what we consume?
Another food scandal has erupted in the country. After pesticide-tainted tangerines and strawberries and Salmonella-tainted meat, food insecurity has also affected children.
In a state kindergarten in Gramsh, nearly 70 children have been poisoned by the food they were served, and initial suspicions are for the presence of Salmonella. This is a bacterium found in meat, mainly chicken, eggs, but also in vegetables and other foods.
It is still unknown how it ended up in the children's stomachs, as authorities have attempted to cover up the incident. It is expected that further investigation will reveal what the children consumed.
But this is not the only case. It is another indicator of food security in the country, where no one knows what they eat and what they drink.
At the end of March, it was discovered that about 8 tons of chicken meat from Brazil, with a high Salmonella content, was traded in our country. The meat managed to be put on the market and was all consumed. The authorities acted very late, while irresponsibility was also shown by the company that brought the meat, avoiding obligations. Fortunately, there were no people with problems, as the meat was most likely cooked well and the bacteria was destroyed.
Also, a month ago, a scandal erupted at the "KFC" chain, after the chicken they consumed also tested positive for Salmonella. In this case too, there was no destruction and no taking of responsibility by anyone, but the food was consumed.
But this is not the only case. A few weeks ago it turned out that even milk sold in the country contains aflatoxin. Two well-known companies (Lufra and Erzeni) were found to be selling milk with dangerous content. No one took care of its disposal, but all of it was consumed by citizens.
This is not the only case, as there have been other reports of aflatoxin in milk, not to mention the mixing with powdered milk. Last year, Albania imported 1,000 tons of powdered milk from abroad. Meanwhile, it has imported over 3,000 tons of palm oil – another product that compromises food safety if not used properly.
But, in addition to Salmonella and aflatoxin, Albanians are eating products with pesticides. In February, Croatia sent back about 10 tons of mandarins with pesticides. It was also discovered that strawberries coming from Greece had high pesticide content. Not to mention other products, such as watermelons grafted with pumpkins or tomatoes and cucumbers that are densely packed with pesticides.
A short while ago, the Ministry of Agriculture admitted to the media that during 2024 alone, laboratory tests on fruits and vegetables found 7 banned pesticides such as: "chlorpyriphos, chlorfenapyr, chlorpyriphos methyl, linuron, dimethoate, myclobutanil and omethoate". These are pesticides that Europe bans, but are freely used in Albania. And in fact, all of them are poisons for the Albanian body. / Pamphlet
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