BEEFED-UP FOOD INSPECTIONS IN KARABAKH
Anahit Danielyan

200 9/08/20 | 11:56

Nagorno Karabakh society

The NKR government has lately been looking into the question of food
safety. The issue has cropped up since rumors have been flying amongst
local residents that watermelons have been the cause of a rash of
food poisoning cases reported in the area.

Doctors, on the other hand, claim that no such cases of watermelon
poisoning have been verified and that the real culprit lies in the
poor eating habits of people and the way some foods are cultivated.

NKR Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan recently assembled a panel
of experts to look into the matter. The panel reported the findings
of infectious disease experts who scoured the countryside, studying
watermelon patches and fields in the Askeran, Martuni and Kashatagh
districts.

Nitrate levels were found to be normal in the fields tested in
Kashatagh and Martuni and in twelve fields tested in Askeran. Only
two fields in Askeran showed higher than normal levels of
nitrate. Watermelons from these areas were deemed unfit for human
consumption and removed from store shelves and other sites.

PM Harutyunyan ordered that all watermelon fields need to be tested
and preventative measures taken where needed.

He also directed appropriate state agencies to increase spot
inspections of stores and markets to be on the lookout for food items
with expired usage dates and those without proper certification.