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Polish official: Poland exported 2,700 kg of suspicious beef meat to EU and Romania
Poland exported to other EU member states 2,700 kg of beef meat supposed to come from sick animals, Pawel Niemczuk, the director of the Polish Veterinary Health Agency announced on Thursday.
His statements followed a journalist investigation that showed that sick animals were sacrificed in slaughter houses in Poland and the meat was used for human consumption, Reuters informed.
Suspicious beef meat was exported to Romania, Sweden, Hungary, Estonia, Finland, France, Spain, Lithuania, Portugal and Slovakia, Niemczuk said at a press conference.
Poland produced 560,000 tons of beef annually and 80-85% of that quantity is exported.
On the overall, Polish companies involved in the scandal sold about ten tonnes of beef meat supposed to come from sick animals to processing units and the police started an investigation.
“Our neighbours are asking us details about actions carried out. We convinced most states that the situation confronting Poland is an individual case. Products have been withdrawn.”
Moreover, Warsaw authorities decided to install cameras in slaughter houses and hire more veterinary inspectors to prevent the export of contaminated meat to other EU countries.
“Video supervision will be available 24/7 and trained personnel will evaluate if animals are sacrificed according to regulations,” Niemczuk explained.
The spokesperson for the Polish Veterinary Health Agency announced that the authorities will spend about 120 million zloty (32.3 million dollars) in the next three years to implement these decisions.
In Romania, veterinary health inspectors identified 1,434 kg of products coming from the Polish company and the whole quantity was neutralised, ANSVSA informed on Wednesday.
The products of the Polish company (frozen beef meat) under investigation were delivered to a single Romanian company from Ilfov county.