On the Front Line of Food Safety, or Why "Dangerous" Food Products Are Banned from Our Market

Topic news Where does the control that ensures state security begin? Many will answer: "At border checkpoints." Others associate security with military personnel and training ground exercises, others will remember the development of healthcare and educational innovations, and others will note that the technological sovereignty and economic independence of the country are based on scientific discoveries, and each of the options will be correct in its own way. But what if we look at the situation from an extraordinary side, closer to each of us? "Man is what he eats," - so said the German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach at the end of the 19th century, and, if we understand the phrase literally, healthy, that is, safe food products are necessary for HEALTH . All agricultural products, both exported from Belarus and imported into the country, are checked for compliance with this parameter by employees of the Belarusian State Veterinary Supervision Department. Their work is invisible to the average person, but we evaluate its results every day when visiting hypermarkets and pet stores. So what is the rationale for the green light for some products on the Belarusian market and the ban for others, and why is EXPORT and import primarily about safety and only then about the economy? Let's figure it out.

From time to time, headlines appear in the media about the introduction of bans or restrictions by individual countries on the import of a number of food products that are suspected of falsification and non-compliance with sanitary requirements. Belarusian dairy enterprises answer: "We've been there, we know. This happened to us too." Despite the fact that everyone is talking about the quality of domestic food products today and markets have closed to our producers, the reasons for which, according to experts, were not always objective. Often, the reason for "sending to the ban" was the inconsistency of positions, misunderstandings between suppliers and buyers, up to differences in approaches to paperwork. In short, it hardly ever came to laboratory tests, which are the only way to identify deviations in the composition or unsatisfactory quality of the product. Today, no one even remembers the "milk" disagreements, loudly dubbed "wars" by journalists, and the export of Belarusian food products is growing steadily, increasing by several percent on average from year to year. But who is the first to start talking about violations?
"Belarusian exporters do not have problems with veterinary control"

"State Veterinary Supervision is often viewed as an economic tool, which is not true at all. We carry out veterinary control and assess the quality and safety of goods, both exported from the country and imported into it and in transit. Only safety, but with economic consequences," explains Deputy HEAD of the Belarusian Department of State Veterinary Supervision at the State Border and Transport Valery Makovsky. "Imagine if even a small amount of poor-quality feed is imported into the country. After all, they will go to farms, and as a result, the products made from the MILK or MEAT obtained there will become unsuitable for export in terms of safety. And if there is a precedent, a ban may be imposed on many deliveries abroad. I think there is no need to explain what this means for the country."

At first glance, the specialists of the institution, the vast majority of whom are veterinarians, do not have so many tasks, but what tasks! For example, maintaining epizootic well-being in Belarus, thanks to which our country remains a major exporter, but not only. Head of the State Veterinary Supervision Service Dmitry Strapko draws attention to the fact that the task is even more global, because the security of the entire Eurasian space is at stake, and that is why uniform requirements for the import of goods are in effect. After all, not only the ability to trade with other countries, but also the health of the residents of one’s own country depend on compliance with these rules. The employees of the State Veterinary Supervision Service spend most of their working time conducting veterinary control of export, import and transit deliveries of goods, and this is not only office work with documents, but also a physical inspection of the contents of trucks.  

“The list of goods that we control includes more than 100 items, they can be conditionally divided into seven groups: live animals, meat and meat products , dairy products,fish and fish products, compound feed, feed additives, non-food products and raw materials, veterinary drugs, - Dmitry Strapko points out. - The number of groups may seem small, but each position hides a sea of ​​names. Let's take, for example, dairy products. These include cottage cheese, cheese , yoghurts, and all kinds of desserts."
In short, along with the increase in the volume of foreign deliveries (and by the end of 2024 , the growth of exports of food products and agricultural raw materials is expected to be about 114%), the work of the specialists of the State Veterinary Supervision Service also increases. Inspectors are present at each shipment to personally assess the condition of the goods, check the conditions of their transportation, study the accompanying documents, and only in this case the cargo can be sent further. Another important nuance is to take into account the veterinary and sanitary requirements of the buying country, which will also definitely check the goods at the border. There are especially many pitfalls in trade with CHINA, where we supply impressive volumes of dry milk and meat.

"The veterinary service in the republic is at a high level. At each stage of raising farm animals, producing food products and storing or transporting them, the state veterinary service exercises control. I would say that we bring it all together: we control shipment and temperature conditions, issue veterinary documents and send goods to recipients, explains Dmitry Strapko. - I have been in the profession for a long time, worked in different positions, but I do not remember any emergency situations when the cargo was returned to us because of its non-compliance."

80% of imported food batches are returned to suppliers due to violations in the documents

. There is no need to doubt the words of the head of the State Veterinary Supervision Service, because Belarus has long had a reputation as a conscientious and reliable exporter on the market. But despite the fact that the achieved level of self-sufficiency in the republic for dairy products, meat, eggs, vegetables, potatoes exceeds 100%, we still import some things from abroad. Mainly from RUSSIA. Since the Belarusian-Russian border can be crossed without customs checks, importers have the right to choose where it is more convenient for them to register food cargo. And is it not luck that a batch of Russian cheeses arrived here just during our visit to the MINSK border veterinary checkpoint? This means that we can observe the registration of goods in person.

"First, the documents are checked. We pay attention to the dates of shipment, whether the enterprise is certified for deliveries within the EAEU, from which site the cargo was sent. Nowadays, more and more products are being transported from logistics centers, and this is also a nuance, because the epizootic situation needs to be assessed in the territory where the goods were produced and from where they were delivered. We pay special attention to the instructions of the Department of Veterinary and Food Supervision, which can impose restrictions. If there are none, the enterprise is certified and the documents are filled out correctly, the goods are allowed for physical inspection, - comments the head of the Minsk PKVP Alexey Tolkachev on the process. - In the presence of a veterinary inspector, the goods are completely unloaded. The marking, sanitary condition of the transport, packaging , temperature conditions, manufacturer's names and expiration dates are checked. If any discrepancies are visually detected or, for example, the production dates in the documents are different, this is a reason for returning the product."
In our case, no violations are detected, and after the signatures and stamps are affixed, Russian cheeses are sent further along the route. In just a few days, they will be on the shelves of Moscow's retail chains.

Another type of inspection is also practiced here - laboratory inspections. Food products, agricultural raw materials, and animal feed are checked for suitability. On average, State Veterinary Inspection specialists send samples from 538 batches of food products for testing per year . These are a wide variety of imported goods - fish, dairy products, eggs , and honey. Another 200 inspections per year are devoted to analyzing the quality of feed, which includes meal, as well as vaccines, yeast, and fish meal .

"Imported goods are checked mainly for safety indicators, that is, the content of heavy metals, the level of radiation are measured, and the component composition of the products is assessed and whether they comply it is declared on the label, - helps to understand the essence of the leading veterinarian Valery Adamovich. - The goods coming to us are very different, not only Russian, but also from Poland, France and other EU countries. Of course, there are violations, even quite a few."
The State Veterinary Supervision Service calculated: per year, veterinarians check 85 thousand transport units. In 2024, inspectors returned 1,465 batches of goods to suppliers, which is equivalent to 22.5 thousand tons of products. And another 77 batches of goods, or 8.4 tons of products, were destroyed. Surprisingly, about 80% of returns were in one way or another related to violations in filling out veterinary documents.

"Veterinary certificates contain a large amount of information indicating the safety of the product and confirming the epizootic well-being of the production territory, accordingly, if the data is distorted or incomplete, we do not accept such imported goods for registration. They are either returned to the supplier or disposed of,” adds the head of the State Veterinary Supervision Service, Dmitry Strapko.

"An Italian tried to smuggle almost $50,000 worth of pickled meats - had to buy a return ticket"

It would seem, why would there be veterinarians at the airport? Large quantities of milk and meat are definitely not transported by air, the goods would be too expensive and would spoil before landing. Nevertheless, there is also a border veterinary checkpoint at the Minsk National Airport . Its specialists carry out veterinary control of goods delivered to Belarus by plane and issue documents to pets traveling with their owners. Of course, there are some nuances.
"When the goods arrive, they are placed in a temporary storage warehouse on the airport premises. We always conduct a 100% inspection of the cargo. We work together with customs officers, sometimes laboratory tests are assigned. Having completed the veterinary clearance of the cargo or animal, we put the stamp "Release permitted", which means that the cargo is released into free circulation, - Igor Borisevich, head of the Minsk National Airport PKVP, helps to understand the topic. - In previous years, more cargo was transported by plane, for example, fish was delivered. Today, the main cargo flow is veterinary drugs, and about 90% of them are of Chinese origin. We also issue international veterinary certificates, without which pets will not fly out of the country."
We personally looked at how this happens, having passed through special passes into the customs control zone, where usually "No entry for outsiders". Here, beyond the restrictive lines, the cute eight-year-old Jack Russell Terrier Yoka comes into the field of view of veterinarian Anastasia Golovchenko. The affectionate dog, even with strangers, will be able to travel with her beloved owner only if she passes veterinary control and mandatory customs declaration.
"We check for vaccinations, a safety certificate from a veterinarian of the sending country, which states that the animal has been examined and is healthy, we read the chip to identify the pet. Then comes a visual inspection: I assess the dog's condition by eye. It is bad when a pet is aggressive, but passivity is also undesirable. The animal must be active, with a clear look," Anastasia Golovchenko accompanies Yoka's examination with comments.

About 3 thousand pets are checked at the airport per year, both flying into and out of the country. By the way, passengers carry not only cats and dogs, there are also some rather exotic specimens. A veterinarian recalls how tourists once went on a trip with a snail in a sour cream jar.
But much more often than animals, vacationers bring with them from abroad meat delicacies, exclusive cheeses and other pickles, somehow losing sight of the fact that in hand luggage a passenger is allowed to import to Belarus without a veterinary certificate no more than 5 kg of finished products, which must be sealed in the factory packaging with the manufacturer and expiration dates indicated. Needless to add that products are imported only from countries with a favorable epizootic situation. For example, Poland, where African swine fever is currently raging , can be safely excluded from this list.
"We burn small batches of products delivered with violations in special furnaces. But there are exceptions," recalls Igor Borisevich. "On New Year's Eve, an Italian tried to bring a large batch of meat delicacies to Belarus, as well as a box of truffles. The total cost of the products was close to $50,000. Of course, he did not have the necessary documents. There were two options: either destroy the illegal goods on the spot, or bring them back to Italy. Strangely enough, he chose the second option, and it turned out to be much cheaper, even though he was flying to Belarus via Turkey. And we have, I note, quite lenient legislation. In other countries, something like this can result in a huge fine, and in some cases, deportation. All states care about the safety and health of their residents."

And the work of the employees of the Belarusian Department of State Veterinary Supervision at the state border and transport is direct evidence of this. They guarantee the quality and safety of the products on display in our stores, as well as agricultural products supplied abroad. And if a person really is what he eats, then Belarusians are fine.

Vera VASILEVSKAYA,
photos by Nadezhda KOSTETSKAYA and from the BELTA archive,
BELTA.