Over 130,000 kilos of raw and processed meat was withdrawn from circulation in markets and safely destroyed in Serbia last year, together with nearly 6,000 kilos of meat seized in illegal trade, Chief of the Veterinary Inspection of Serbia Sanja Celebicanin has told Tanjug.

She pointed out that meat was mainly withdrawn from retail sale, more rarely from slaughterhouses, while the most problematic were minced meat and beef.

According to the percentage of the meat withdrawn from circulation, Serbia is in a position rather similar to that of any of the neighboring countries or the EU members and any quantities not exceeding 10 percent of the total production and circulation are acceptable, Celebicanin said.

Last year, more than 35,000 liters of milk, 12,000 kilos of dairy products, more than 46,000 eggs, 345 kilos of fish and fish products, 118 kilos of honey and nearly 5,000 kilograms of other animal foods, was also pulled from sale in Serbia.

The Veterinary Inspection chief stressed that the systems for the control of safety of meat, meat products and other products of animal origin in Serbia was very rigorous and that the country had completely taken over relevant EU food safety legislation.

Speaking of the meat seized in illegal trade, Celebicanin stressed that the Veterinary Inspection carried out the clampdown activities in cooperation with the Interior Ministry.

The meat was seized in the regions along the administrative line between central Serbia and the province of Kosovo-Metohija, where attempts had been made to import meat or meat products outside regular procedures at control points, she explained.

Last year also saw the seizure from illegal trade of a total of 732 kilos of dairy products, 5,200 kilos of fish, 16 kilos of honey and 217 kilos of other products of animal origin.