Tunç Beyit: "Meat Will Be Inspected by Authorities Upon Entry into TRNC"

Beyit announced that, according to the Council of Ministers' decision dated April 27, 2023 (Ü(K-I)579-2023), frozen lamb and frozen minced meat (lamb or beef) will be imported from European Union countries to address the meat shortage in the market.

Beyit explained that the import will be carried out by the Soil Products Office, and the meat will originate from EU countries and must come from countries free of contagious animal diseases listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

He further stated that the imported meat must have a veterinary health certificate indicating it comes from regions free of BSE (Mad Cow Disease) and Foot-and-Mouth Disease.

To ensure shipment security, the meat will be transported in refrigerated vehicles disinfected and maintained at -18°C, with a spy temperature logger recording temperature changes throughout the journey. The vehicle will be sealed upon departure and the seal will be opened by authorities upon arrival in the TRNC for necessary inspections.

During the inspections, samples will be taken according to internationally accepted criteria and methods, and analyzed at the Veterinary Department's International Food Reference Laboratory for species identification (checking for the presence of beef, chicken, and pork) and microbiological analysis (testing for Salmonella, E.coli O157H7). The results will be shared with the public.