Published in News
Bosnia Bans South American Beef Imports After Safety Scandal
Bosnia and Herzegovina has stopped all beef imports from several South American countries after unsafe meat was found on sale in stores.
Martina Osmak
Director of Marketing
What Happened?
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has fully banned the import of beef from four South American countries:
Brazil
Argentina
Paraguay
Uruguay
The decision came after a serious problem with one shipment of beef. The meat was meant for further processing, not for direct sale in shops. However, it was sold in retail stores anyway.
Even more worrying, part of the 27-ton shipment did not meet health safety standards.
Government Reaction
Staša Košarac, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said the situation is unacceptable.
According to him:
The meat was wrongly sold in retail stores.
Some of it did not meet required health regulations.
He stressed that food safety rules must be respected and that violations cannot be tolerated.
Earlier Warning Ignored
On January 23, the Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina had already introduced a temporary ban on beef imports from these countries.
This decision followed laboratory tests that showed:
Unsatisfactory results
Non-compliance with veterinary and health regulations
Despite this warning, the rules were still broken, and the meat reached the market.
Stronger Controls Coming
Minister Košarac announced that inspections of imported food products will become stricter. The goal is simple:
To prevent unsafe food from reaching consumers.
Authorities now plan to:
Increase checks on imported meat
Strengthen supervision of food distribution
Ensure better enforcement of health standards
Why This Matters
Bosnia and Herzegovina depends heavily on imported meat. Industry representatives say that more than 70% of meat consumed in the country is imported.
Because of this, any disruption in imports can affect:
Meat prices
Supply in stores
Local food businesses
At the same time, public health remains the top priority.
What Happens Next?
For now, the ban remains in place. Authorities will continue inspections and may introduce additional measures if needed.
The case has raised concerns about food safety control and the monitoring of imported products. Many consumers are now paying closer attention to where their food comes from.
The government says its message is clear: food safety comes first.
Source: https://novo.hr/bih-u-potpunosti-zabranila-uvoz-govedine-iz-juzne-amerike/