Contaminated animal feed shipment seized in Cyprus

“Two loads have arrived in Cyprus one contaminated with aflatoxins and the other with Salmonella but under no circumstances have they been used by our farmers and have not entered the food chain,” said Androulla Georgiou, head of the Agriculture Department.

Aflatoxins were detected in the Bulgarian corn animal feed shipment of 1,700 tonnes.

Salmonella was detected in 7,536 tonnes of soybean animal feed from Argentina.

The cargo shipped into Cyprus end of August, and the tests arrived early September, Georgiou said.

“The small quantities that went to the mills and farmers, have been seized and have gone back to the importers’ warehouses which have been sealed,” said Georgiou.

Minister Georgiou said that the importer has few options at his disposal, either destroy the shipment or send it back.

The minster referred to a procedure that destroys Salmonella, and if, the importer should choose this option, then more tests will be carried out to ensure that the bacteria is not passed onto the farmers.