Food security in Azerbaijan at zero

Today, due to the frequent cases of poisoning the Society of Consumer Protection held a press conference on the status of food security.

According to the expert of the NGO Sanan Karimov, according to official figures, 283 food poisoning cases took place in the summer and in 245 cases, the victims were hospitalized. According to the non-governmental organizations, there were 616 such cases recorded. Given the poor education, many thousands of cases of food poisoning are latent and do not reach the public.

This is the result of a lack of interest of public institutions. Thus, over the years of independence the country has not produced managers of food quality, and there is not any higher school or even college or vocational school for this.

The State Committee of Standards and the Ministry of Economic Development formally check stores and warehouses of finished products. It is really needed to check the entire process chain, from cultivation methods of agricultural land and crops.

On the example of pastry expert has shown that there is no bread quality that meets international standards. Conditions of storage of grain by private farmers are inadequate. The price of a sack of flour is raised to 18 manat, while the sacks do not contain the 50 kg declared. At the state standard of 100 kg of flour it is needed to bake 130 kg of bread, but in fact it is baked much more by adding large amounts of water, salt and other ingredients.

In order for bread to form golden crust, indicating the quality, the products are lubricated with oil of the type unknown even to experienced food industry workers. Mixed dough goes sour in unsuitable containers for longer time and at an unacceptable process conditions. Around the teeming not only bacteria but also every living creatures, are not met basic sanitation, says the specialist.

It is necessary to adopt the international standard NASSR (is a systematic preventive approach to food and pharmaceutical safety that defines the physical, allergic, chemical and biological parameters of risk in the production process, and provides for measures to reduce these risks to a safe level). Without that Azerbaijan will not enter into the World Trade Organization and the negotiations will remain fruitless. Even worse, if it is at today's level of preparedness will be one of those countries - then it will be importing goods without the right to export. The Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights in conjunction with USAID will create a single certificate of quality local produce to protect themselves from tyranny once rebellious producers and sellers.

Azerbaijan has rich experience in growing high-quality and environmentally friendly agricultural products. It is necessary to use state funds earmarked for the creation of a powerful agrarian industrial complex, said the expert. -17C-