ESK: “All allegations claiming that payments are made in advance without analyzing and accepting the inspections of the meats in some social media outlets are completely baseless”

In the statement made by the Meat and Milk Institution (ESK), it was stated that ‘All allegations regarding the prepayment of money before the analysis and inspection acceptance of meats in certain social media outlets are unfounded.’ The Meat and Milk Institution reported that a batch of imported meat with microbiological analysis results testing positive for salmonella was destroyed on June 11, 2024. ESK stated that the money for any product whose inspection acceptance procedures have not been completed is not prepaid and that the allegations on this matter are baseless. The full written statement made by the Meat and Milk Institution is as follows: ‘A batch of imported meat by our institution with microbiological analysis results testing positive for Salmonella was destroyed on June 11, 2024, within the framework of Law No. 5996 on Veterinary Services, Plant Health, Food, and Feed. Imported meats by our institution are subject to food safety within the scope of the public procurement legislation, samples are taken for control inspection by our Ministry upon entry into the country, and necessary analyses are conducted at accredited laboratories. Meats rejected by the purchasing/inspection committee due to non-compliance with hygiene standards observed in a batch during the microbiological analysis conducted on May 9, 2024, were frozen and kept under controlled conditions in a custodian warehouse, and a warning letter was sent to the contractor slaughterhouse company. Following the completion of legal procedures, the destruction process of a batch of meat kept under controlled conditions in the custodian warehouse was completed on June 11, 2024. The destruction process took place at the Solid Waste Disposal Facilities owned by Denizli Metropolitan Municipality with the presence of representatives from the Meat and Milk Institution, Denizli Agriculture and Forestry Provincial Directorate, Customs Directorate, and the related company. All allegations on social media platforms claiming that money was prepaid before the analysis and inspection acceptances of meats, i.e., before leaving the country of origin, are entirely baseless. All procurements by our institution are made within the scope of public procurement, and the money for any product whose inspection acceptance procedures are not completed is not prepaid. The entire process of meat and live animal imports made under public guarantee strictly adheres to high hygiene standards.’