The Phytosanitary Inspection of the Republic of Srpska has banned the import of two shipments of strawberries, totaling 1,370 kilograms, originating from Albania. This decision was made during the regular inspection of plant-origin food imports, confirming an increased pesticide level.

The competent inspection strives to implement targeted activities in the control of fruits and vegetables, in accordance with the seasonal nature of individual species. With the beginning of the strawberry import season, special attention is focused on their inspection.

Strawberries imported into the Republic of Srpska mostly come from Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Albania, where favorable climatic conditions allow for early strawberry production and production throughout the year.

The greatest risk with fruits and vegetables is the presence of unauthorized amounts of pesticides, mycotoxins, and heavy metals, and these are the parameters that are checked. Each imported fruit shipment must be accompanied by a health certificate and a certificate issued by the authorized body of the exporting country. Inspectors verify whether the shipment is accompanied by all necessary documentation, conduct a detailed inspection of the shipment, and, in line with the risk assessment, take samples for analysis. Since the beginning of this year, around 300 samples of fruits and vegetables have been taken for laboratory analysis during import.

Additionally, in the past month, the Phytosanitary Inspection has prohibited the import of one shipment of strawberries from Albania, totaling 1,260 kilograms, due to an increased pesticide level. This brings the total number of banned shipments to three so far.