The Republic Phytosanitary Inspection Service, as part of the regular control of shipments in foreign trade, banned the import of two shipments of mercantile potatoes in the amount of 43.3 tons originating from Austria, because it was determined that they did not meet the quality requirements.

Through inspection of the shipments, a significant presence of rotting tubers was determined. The entire shipment emitted an unpleasant and offensive smell of rot, rendering them unacceptable and unsuitable for human consumption. The Phytosanitary inspector issued a Decision banning the import of the shipment in question and ordered it to be returned to sender.

The Law on Food of the Republic of Srpska prescribes that when determining whether food is suitable for human consumption, consideration is given to whether the food is unacceptable due to contamination by external causes or by other means, or due to rotting, spoilage, or decay.

Furthermore, in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Food of Bosnia and Herzegovina, food is considered unsuitable for human consumption if the sensory attributes of the food have been changed due to physical, chemical, microbiological, or other processes to such an extent that the food is not suitable for human consumption.