In total, the country has already received three shipments of sunflower from Argentina with a total volume of about 118.5 thousand tons. Sampling is carried out directly at the port even before ships are unloaded, which allows for prompt control over the quality of imported raw materials, ukragroconsult wrote.
Earlier, laboratory analyses of the first two vessels also showed exceeding of permissible levels of pesticides in some cases by 3-5 times. This caused increased control over imports and additional attention from regulators.
Bulgarian control authorities monitor the movement of imported sunflower along the entire chain – from port to processing and subsequent sale or export. Controls are carried out in coordination with customs authorities and other government agencies.
The importer has provided written assurances that after processing, the product will not enter the EU markets for food use. It will either be exported to third countries where such levels of pesticides are allowed or used for technical needs, in particular the production of biodiesel. New shipments of Argentine sunflower are expected to arrive in Bulgaria in the near future, which will also be subjected to enhanced controls.
