Tests find pesticides above limits in Argentine sunflower shipment to Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s Food Safety Agency has announced that samples from the second ship carrying sunflower seeds from Argentina, as with the first shipment, show significant deviations from safety standards.

Laboratory tests revealed serious breaches of the permitted levels of the pesticides malathion and deltamethrin, with malathion exceeding the permitted limit by a factor of three. The same analysis also detected heavy metals — lead, cadmium and nickel — as was the case with the cargo from the first vessel. However, the measured levels of these metals remain below the maximum permitted concentrations.

The agency added that inspectors are continuing to monitor the entire process related to the import, transport and processing of the Argentine sunflower seeds.

According to an official letter from the importer, the raw material will be used for industrial processing into biodiesel and exported to third countries, meaning it is not expected to appear on the Bulgarian market, said reporter Veselina Milanova.

• Bulgarian producers call for inspections of sunflower imported from Argentina

Editor: Miglena Ivanova