STARTING FROM 2008, SALE OF MEAT WITHOUT SLAUGHTERHOUSE STAMP TO BE
BANNED IN ARMENIAN MARKETS AND SHOPS

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Since May, the Food Safety
Inspection (set up in 2007) has conducted checkings of 800 economic
entities, 760 of which were subjected to administrative responsibility
for various violations. The RA minister of agriculture Davit Lokian
stated at the December 28 press conference that fines of the total
amount of 50 million drams (about 164 thousand USD) were imposed.

The minister said that there are a lot of problems in the country’s
food production and consumption sphere. "The export of food to the
European Union is out of the question, if we cannot provide our
residents with safe foodstuffs within the country," he said. According
to him, a number of steps have been taken in order to deal with these
problems. In particular, the Law on Food Safety will take effect this
year.

It was announced that starting from April 2008, butchering outside a
slaughterhouse will be banned in the country, which is one of the most
important problems related to food safety. Four big slaughterhouses
will be built in Kotayk, Syunik, Aragatsotn and Shirak marzes with
foreign assistance, while the sale of meat without the stamp of a
slaughterhouse will be banned in all markets and shops.