DISGRACEFUL SITUATION IN THE MARKET OF SAUSAGES IS STILL ON
Factinfo
Mon, 12/10/2012 – 13:09
Today the State Commission for the Protection of the Economic
Competition of the RA (SCPEC) will impose sanctions on unlawful
sausage producers of the market. It is not yet published how many
they are and which companies it concerns. It was informed that on
December 12, at 12 the above-mentioned Commission will hold a session,
during which the results obtained after the sausages market examination
will be published. The Commission will publish the names of unlawful
producers and the decisions regarding the sanctions against them.
Let us remind that the Commission revealed earlier meet products
of different companies on the spots of retail trade, which were not
compatible with the requirements of the RA Constitution. Particularly,
the ‘Moskovskaya’ type of smoked sausage production of the ‘Bari
samaratsi’ company did not contain the production date on the package.
The same problem was detected at the products of the companies
“A. Bilyan”, “Atenq”, “Geghard meet factory”, “Marila”, “Yeremka”,
“Gamjalyan brothers”, “Erebouni astgh”, “Jrvezh meet factory”, “Mush”
and “Ararat” production cooperative.
Improper labeling by the indicated companies was a violation of the
law, which could deceive the consumer, and is a demonstration of unfair
competition by producers. In the light of indicated violations they
were fined by AMD 500 thousand each by the decisions of the SCPEC
made on the session of April 18, 2011. Moreover, they were forced to
remove the indicated products from the circulation in the market and
exclude further violations of the law.
However, it appears that no order has been established neither in
the Armenian nor in the foreign sausages markets yet. We think that
it is clear to everyone that the current disgraceful situation in the
sausages market in the RA is the result of the inaction of the State
Food Safety Inspectorate of the RA Ministry of Agriculture, as well as
official ignorance of the present violations, what, of course, results
in suspicion, that the inaction is conditioned with corruption. Let us
highlight that the mentioned violations connected with labeling are
only the tiny part of violations that are existent in the sausages
market. There are more serious violations that threaten the health
of the consumers, such as the sausages composition. We do not talk
about the possibility of the presence of buffalo meet imported from
abroad in them, which also exists, but about nitrates, various food
additives, as well as the use of genetically modified soya.
Artur Hovhannisyan