"Anthrax is an extremely dangerous disease for both humans and animals. It has also been used as a biological weapon. Currently, there are two outbreaks discovered in Bulgaria, which have been isolated, disinfected and placed under surveillance. Apart from this, there are 24 contact persons and all of them are under medical supervision". This was stated in “Hello, Bulgaria” by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Ivan Hristanov. He commented on the latest cases of meat from an outbreak of anthrax in the Silistra village of Chernogor, which is in danger of spreading to other areas of the country, which the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) alerted about a day ago.
"We have deposited quite a few signals related to our inspections for dangerous and substandard food with the prosecutor's office and we already have a new acting prosecutor general. It would be good for them to open these signals, order their consideration as a priority and do some work", the minister added.
According to him, the path of the meat has been traced. "This product has been confiscated, destroyed and, of course, together with colleagues from the Ministry of Internal Affairs - these activities continue. At one of these two sites, four vehicles used to deliver meat or finished products were traced to reach the final point of the chain," stressed Hristanov.
He advised people to turn to sites that are under control for purchases, and not to a type of “home workshop“, where there is no veterinary and medical control. "Food production is a responsible job and that is why agencies exist - to guarantee public health", the Minister of Agriculture emphasized.
Hristanov also commented on the case of the "carcass in warehouses in Montana" discovered. "The site itself is connected to a galaxy of companies. It is certainly a political umbrella", the minister emphasized. And he stated that what the BFSA officers found during the inspection was not something that is usual in the production process. "This is about dirt that has accumulated over the years. It is clear that they have no hygiene practices. In one of the photos, there was a box of minced meat, on which a piece of cardboard with a date was thrown. It is unacceptable for any materials that may have any bacteria and pathogens to be thrown on other food products," he is categorical.