Authorities in Tirana have launched an operation to address the importation of contaminated chicken meat from Brazil, which has been found to contain salmonella. According to law enforcement, the administrator of the company responsible for the importation of the tainted shipment, consisting of 18.5 tons of chicken breast, has been declared wanted.
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| Frozen chicken fillets contaminated with salmonella imported to Albania from Brazil |
In addition, the police have initiated criminal proceedings against the administrator’s brother for violating laws related to the “Importation, Production, Sale, and Storage of Foods Hazardous to Public Health.” Furthermore, three inspectors from the National Food Authority (AKU) are also under investigation for their alleged involvement in facilitating the entry of the contaminated meat into the Albanian market through either direct actions or negligence.
The case has been referred to the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office for further legal proceedings. The Economic and Financial Crime Investigation Section of the Tirana Police, under the direction of the Prosecutor’s Office of the General Jurisdiction First Instance Court, has taken investigative and procedural actions related to the importation of food products containing salmonella. As a result, the following individuals have been implicated:
A. G., 50 years old, administrator of a private company (declared wanted)
M. G., 53 years old, brother of the administrator (criminally prosecuted)
G. H., 38 years old, AKU inspector (under investigation)
S. L., 42 years old, AKU inspector (under investigation)
A. S., 46 years old, AKU inspector (under investigation)
Investigations have revealed that A. G., in his capacity as the company’s administrator, along with his brother M. G., imported food products that, according to official laboratory analyses, were found to contain salmonella. The AKU inspectors, identified as G. H., S. L., and A. S., allegedly enabled the distribution of these hazardous products into the market through their actions or lack thereof.
This case highlights ongoing concerns about food safety standards and regulatory oversight in Albania. Authorities continue their investigations to determine the full extent of the scandal and prevent similar incidents in the future.