More than 130 tons of unsafe food withdrawn from sale in markets

A total of 130,574.87 kilograms of food products and home-cooked meals — whose quality and safety were not guaranteed, whose expiration dates had passed, or whose organoleptic properties did not meet regulatory standards — have been banned from sale and disposed of in accordance with established procedures. This was reported by the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Wellbeing and Public Health.

The committee reported that the following measures were taken earlier this year to improve sanitary conditions in farmers’ markets, prevent food poisoning, ensure sanitary and epidemiological safety, and provide the population with safe food products:

•  Permanent sanitary control was established in 300 farmers’ markets across the country in cooperation with the Internal Affairs Department, the State Tax Inspectorate, the Veterinary Service, and market administrations.
•  During joint inspections, 130,574.87 kg of food products and home-cooked meals that failed to meet quality and safety requirements were banned from sale and destroyed.
•  Administrative reports were issued against 514 individuals who sold meat, milk, confectionery, salads, and bakery products outside trading areas, on carts, without special clothing, without undergoing medical examinations, or in violation of sanitary regulations. These individuals were fined in accordance with the law.

The committee also identified several ongoing problems in farmers’ markets:

•  111 markets still lack specially equipped pavilions for selling meat, and 158 markets lack similar facilities for selling milk and dairy products.
•  27 markets have not established veterinary and sanitary examination laboratories.
•  8 markets do not have public toilets, and 17 lack special dumpsters for temporary waste collection.
•  80 markets are not supplied with water, and 142 have not organized wastewater collection and disinfection.
•  77 markets have not signed contracts with authorized organizations to carry out disinfection, deratization, and disinfestation measures.

It should be recalled that earlier it was reported that children in preschool institutions in the Piskent, Buka, Akkurgan, and Kuyi Chirchik districts of the Tashkent region were poisoned. According to preliminary findings, poor-quality dairy products may have caused the illnesses. It was found that the 3.2% kefir supplied to preschool educational institutions that day was produced in one of the workshops in Akkurgan district.

Nurmat Otabekov, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Wellbeing and Public Health, stated on September 28 that a total of 182 children continue to receive treatment in hospitals.