Nearly a thousand pieces of dried meat without documentation seized in a hidden facility. Minister Vlajčić warns of the risk of African swine fever and urges restaurateurs to buy verified products.
In the Drniš area of Šibenik-Knin County, inspectors uncovered a veritable small illegal prosciutto factory. In a hidden facility, they found and immediately seized 6,800 kilograms of dried meat, or nearly a thousand pieces of prosciutto, which were being produced without any oversight or the necessary documentation.
Specifically, 966 prosciutto hams were hidden from the eyes of the public and inspections. The owner of the prosciutto facility operated without approval from the competent authorities and without documents confirming the origin of the meat or the health analyses conducted. All the goods found were confiscated and will be destroyed.
HRT reporter Ana Štrelov reported from the scene that this was a serious quantity. "Nearly 10 tons of meat were drying in conditions that no one controlled. The key question that the inspection and police are seeking answers to is whether part of this meat has already entered further distribution," Štrelov said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries David Vlajčić strongly condemned the illegal operation. "Operating illegally and selling meat as a Croatian product without knowing its origin is unacceptable for the minister in charge," Vlajčić said.
The minister particularly emphasized the risks that such actions pose in the context of diseases threatening livestock. "We regularly encounter such reports and tips from the field, but what is important is that they are prosecuted and that such things do not happen again. In the context of African swine fever, we see how easily the disease can be brought to the rest of Croatia from outbreak areas or from other countries where the disease is not under control," Vlajčić warned.
He also addressed domestic producers and the tourist season, sending a clear message to restaurateurs. "Croatian pig farmers and livestock breeders deserve the opportunity of the Croatian tourist season, and I once again call on restaurateurs to seek verified products and not to resort to such practices for the sake of a price or profit," the minister emphasized.
The veterinary inspection reacted immediately due to the identified irregularities. "Due to the identified non-compliances, the veterinary inspection has banned the subject of supervision from carrying out activities with food of animal origin until the appropriate decision from the competent authority is obtained," the State Inspectorate announced.
The news also sparked reactions from the local population. "Of course it's not right, it's not right for it to be illegal; that's not how it should be here," one citizen commented for HRT. Another added: "It's not just that; everything done in this country as some kind of craft or service is all under the table without receipts."
The owner of the illegal prosciutto facility faces a fine, and further investigation should determine all the details of the operation and whether any of the products have already reached the market.
