Intensive Inspection Oversight Contributes to Preservation of Public Health and Food Safety in Montenegro

Years confirm a high level of system efficiency and significant contribution to the preservation of public health, animal health, and plant health. During the first five months, all three inspections (food, veterinary, and phytosanitary) conducted 23,052 inspections, collected 967,823 euros in administrative fees, and destroyed, prevented, or returned 217,308.81 kilograms of animal and non-animal origin products, while taking 3,479 laboratory samples. During inspections, 189 irregularities were identified, 126 notices issued, and 59 decisions made to correct irregularities, temporarily ban operations, prohibit work for persons without sanitary inspection proof, and remove or destroy unsafe food. Special attention was given to controlling facilities for production, processing, storage, and trade of food, with inspectors checking hygiene conditions, product traceability, HACCP implementation, the health status of food handlers, and compliance with legal obligations. In the year, 4,902 import shipments, 1,835 transit shipments, and about 600 live animal shipments were inspected, with a total of 717 samples taken for laboratory testing (216 import shipments and 46 transit shipments at border crossings Božaj and Luka Bar were inspected, and 100 samples were taken for testing). A total of 6,785 inspections related to import and internal trade were performed, including 263 internal controls and 6,522 external controls in plant health, seed and planting material, plant protection products, and fertilizers, with 1,454 laboratory samples collected. The Phytosanitary Inspection prevented the market placement of a total of 72,035 kilograms of unsafe plant products and 183 fruit seedlings that did not meet the required standards. Of these, 13,750 kilograms of seed potatoes were destroyed or prevented from entering the market due to non-compliance with regulations.