ANSA suspends imports of poultry meat from Ukraine

The National Food Safety Agency (ANSA) has announced the temporary suspension of imports of poultry meat and poultry meat products originating from Ukraine. The institution emphasized that the decision is based on the results of complex investigations carried out following the detection of the banned substance metronidazole in batches of feed previously imported from the neighboring country.

"The measure was adopted based on the precautionary principle, in order to protect the health of consumers in the Republic of Moldova and to ensure that only safe and harmless food products are placed on the market," ANSA announced.

ANSA noted that within the complex investigations conducted after the detection of the banned substance metronidazole in imported feed batches, the following non-compliances with an impact on food safety were identified:

1. The residue monitoring plan presented by the competent authority in Ukraine is inferior to the one applied in the Republic of Moldova. Testing for banned substances, including metronidazole, is carried out only in muscle tissue, without including blood serum. According to scientific studies and relevant European reference guidelines, metronidazole degrades rapidly in muscle tissue but remains stable in serum and eggs, which limits the ability of import controls to guarantee the absence of banned substances.

2. Although Ukrainian legislation prohibits the use of metronidazole, ANSA’s investigations revealed that the substance is available on the market. Veterinary medicinal products based on metronidazole are being sold and are included in the product catalogues of some Ukrainian veterinary drug manufacturers.

3. Monitoring of e-commerce platforms revealed a significant number of products containing metronidazole being sold without prescription, including in large-capacity packages, without adequate control over their use in animals intended for human consumption.

"At the same time, the non-compliant feed batches previously identified were accompanied by official veterinary certificates issued by the competent authority of the exporting state, which erroneously attested to the conformity and safety of the products," ANSA underlined.

According to the institution, the suspension of imports will remain in force until the competent authority in Ukraine provides credible guarantees, in line with national standards, regarding the control of banned substances, product traceability, and the effective functioning of official controls.

At the beginning of January, laboratory analyses detected the presence of metronidazole in samples of feed and eggs for human consumption taken from a poultry farm in the Republic of Moldova. ANSA initiated a broad investigation into the case. After the substance was detected, 110,000 birds were culled.

Based on the laboratory results and the information gathered during official controls, it was concluded that the source of the metronidazole residues found in eggs and serum was animal feed to which metronidazole had been added by the producers. In this context, ANSA suspended imports of compound feed and requested information and explanations from the responsible veterinary authority in the exporting country.

Metronidazole is a chemotherapeutic agent with bacteriostatic and antiparasitic effects, whose use in food-producing animals has been banned in the European Union since 1997 and in the Republic of Moldova since 2011, due to significant health risks for consumers, as highlighted in international reference documents.