It sounds incredible, but in Bosnia and Herzegovina there is currently no laboratory control of pesticide residues in food of plant and animal origin. The Food Safety Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina informed the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina that this year the control program was not implemented due to the lack of consent from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republika Srpska.
The Agency’s Director, Džemil Hajrić, pointed out that the implementation of the program was blocked by entity institutions. Without regular control, citizens cannot be sure of the quality of the food they consume: “If official controls are not carried out, we cannot know for sure what kind of food we are eating,” said Hajrić.
In the meantime, there is no response from the RS Ministry of Agriculture. Neither official statements nor written comments are available, which further deepens public distrust.
The Consumers’ Movement of Republika Srpska calls on inspectorates to step up supervision and inform citizens about the hygienic safety of food. The Movement’s President, Ostoja Kremenović, points to the serious risk of the presence of pesticides in food: “Inspectors must take responsibility, control and ban foods that do not have data on pesticides,” Kremenović emphasized.
At the same time, citizens express concern. Many believe that cheaper products are often of lower quality and contain dangerous levels of pesticides. One of the interviewees said: “Fortunately, I live in the countryside and produce most of my own food.” I buy very little because I think there are a lot of pesticides in imported food.”
While citizens and organizations warn of the urgent need for controls, the Food Safety Agency expects concrete measures from the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. An urgent solution to the blockade was proposed in order to enable regular food checks and reduce the risk to the health of the population.
If the blockade continues, the issue of food safety in Bosnia and Herzegovina will remain a serious problem, and citizens’ trust in the competent institutions will further decline. Whether the authorities will finally react remains to be seen, BHRT writes.
