More than 10 tons of imported dried fruit were rejected at the border of the Republic of Moldova following inspections by the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA).
The batch, consisting of a mixture of apples, apricots, plums, and cherries, totaled 10,500 kilograms. During physical inspections at border crossing points, inspectors identified non-compliance with food safety requirements.
According to ANSA, the products showed "visible signs of mold," making them unsuitable for human consumption.
The agency stated that the deficiencies violate national legislation governing dried fruits and vegetables. The regulations require that products intended for human consumption meet minimum quality standards, including being free from defects, contamination, and spoilage.
"They should be free from defects that would make them unfit for consumption, clean, free from visible mineral impurities or organoleptically perceptible defects, free from metallic impurities, free from rot or alterations that render them unfit for consumption, without visible signs of insect, mite, or other parasite infestations, without signs of fermentation, and free from mold," the legislation states.
Following the inspection, the shipment was returned to the producer, and its sale in Moldova was prohibited.
ANSA stated that "not a single kilogram of non-compliant dried fruits reached consumers."
Source: Radio Moldova
