In Albania, in recent years, eggs that have not been checked according to the regulations in force have been consumed, raising concerns about food safety and the implementation of legal standards at border points.
According to the KLSH audit report, in total during 2022, 4,145,600 eggs were imported with truncated documentation, of which 1,926,000 from Serbia and 2,219,000 from Turkey.
According to the audit findings, 1,926,000 eggs were imported from Serbia alone between May 6 and June 25, 2022, and were marketed for human consumption with health certification from Serbian and Albanian authorities, but with documentation considered to pose a high risk of violating food safety requirements. The auditors found that it was not possible to link the producer or packer code stamped on the eggs, the product code on the health certificate, and the commercial barcode declared on the invoice, making it impossible to fully verify the traceability of the product.
In a specific case documented at the Qafë Thanë Border Inspection Point, for a quantity of 306,000 eggs, the audit found that the National Food Authority had not carried out the necessary controls before the product was released to the market, contrary to the instruction on egg trading standards and the requirements of the law "On Food".
Problems have also been identified with imports from Turkey. For the period 3 - 28 June 2022, 1,589,344 eggs were imported, while the audit finds that prior to release for free circulation or processing, the relevant controls were not carried out at the time of customs clearance, thus not implementing food safety requirements.
In some specific practices analyzed by the auditors, other shortcomings in documentation and labeling were also found. In one case, the import of 288,000 eggs worth $21,800 was found, where the documentation lacked a clear statement that these were industrial eggs unsuitable for human consumption, as required by the rules for their trade.
In another case, 437,760 eggs worth $41,344 were imported, where the audit found a lack of counter-labels, incomplete documentation and discrepancies in dates between the invoice, health certificate and veterinary import document. According to the report, the eggs had entered the territory of Albania 34 days after the documents were issued, while 21 days had passed from the date of production.
The audit highlights that these shortcomings are mainly related to the failure to conduct full checks by the NFA at border inspection posts, incomplete or unclear documentation, and labeling that does not comply with legal requirements, creating a risk to food safety and a lack of traceability of products on the market.
According to the report, the responsibility for the violations found is linked to a total of 8 employees of the National Food Authority, while the problems were mainly identified at the Qafë Thanë and Durrës Border Inspection Points, as well as in the regional directorates of the AKU in Tirana, Durrës and Vlora. The managers and persons/employees involved and who should have been involved in this process did not have the necessary institutional attention to handle this case in accordance with their respective responsibilities in the exercise of their duties, the document states.
As a result, the Supreme State Audit recommends that the National Food Authority review institutional responsibilities for these cases, strengthen control at border points, and guarantee full verification of documentation and analyses before products are released on the market for consumption. /ekofin.al
