Warehouses Sealed as Agriculture Ministry Moves to Dismiss Food Safety Officials Over Spoiled Food Scandal

The caretaker Minister of Agriculture, Ivan Hristanov, revealed shocking details about hundreds of tonnes of spoiled food found in a large warehouse in Haskovo. He said senior officials at the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) had obstructed the ministry’s attempts to inspect the facility, prompting imminent dismissals and further investigations.

Inspectors are set to determine which stores the products were intended for, whether any items were repackaged, and whether spoiled food had already been sold to consumers.

During an initial inspection following a tip-off, authorities discovered several refrigerated chambers. One contained tons of unfit food, potentially destined for retail chains.

Hristanov said: “Meat that should be kept chilled was stored frozen. Blocks of butter were thrown together without protective packaging. Food past its expiry date. Items returned by retail chains for destruction were being prepared for resale. We also found specific labels marked ‘Zlatko’. We will identify who Zlatko is and exactly where these products were sold.”

The warehouses in Haskovo have been sealed, and dismissals are expected at the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) following the discovery of hundreds of tonnes of spoiled food.

Caretaker Agriculture Minister Ivan Hristanov said: “Access to the warehouse was denied for a long time. We had to trace the owner and who had the keys. When we finally initiated the inspection, we found that senior BFSA officials tried to obstruct it. Starting Monday, we will act uncompromisingly.”

The scheme involving unfit food is thought to have been operating for several years.

Caretaker Agriculture Minister Ivan Hristanov announced: “In the meantime, we have received information suggesting connections to organised crime groups. On Monday, we will submit this report to the General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (GDCOC) so that the entire scandal can be fully investigated.”

The Ministry of Agriculture also confirmed that it continues to receive numerous reports of illegal slaughterhouses and spoiled food, which are being treated as a priority.