Scandal: pesticide-contaminated mandarins sold in Albanian markets
Albanian consumers unknowingly bought and consumed 10 tons of pesticide-contaminated mandarins, originally rejected by Croatia due to high levels of pesticides like phosmet, that are banned in the EU. Instead of being destroyed, as required by law, the toxic fruit was sold in Albania through a scheme involving the producer, a local distributor, and a government inspector. The case highlights serious food safety failures and regulatory corruption.
Why is this important: The scandal exposes weak food safety enforcement and corrupt practices that allowed banned fruit to reach consumers. The National Food Authority (AKU) falsely claimed the mandarins had been destroyed, thus misleading the public. The incident raises major concerns about consumer health risks and institutional accountability.
Context: According to Berat prosecutors, a farmer Tafa from Goriçan used illegal levels of pesticides in the mandarins that were originally destined for Croatia. When Croatia rejected the shipment, he, along with a local distributor, worked with an AKU government inspector to sell them locally instead of destroying them, as required by the law.
All three have been arrested and charged with:
- Violating hazardous substance regulations
- Selling dangerous food products
- Food fraud
- Abuse of office
Cover-up: The AKU inspector issued fraudulent health certificates to falsely declare the mandarins safe for sale, allowing them to re-enter the market. Phosmet is banned in the EU for its toxic effects on the nervous system, which can lead to neurological damage and poisoning. Despite EU laws also applying in Albania, this case reveals a dangerous enforcement gap.
Other shipments of mandarins from Divjakë and Konispol were also returned by EU countries in late 2024, but authorities have not confirmed if those were properly destroyed.
In December 2024, AKU claimed the returned mandarins had been destroyed, but prosecutors now confirm this was false. This raises questions about how many other contaminated shipments may have been secretly sold.
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