Salmonella, GMOs, mycotoxins and mercury: The Agrarian Chamber of the Czech Republic warned consumers against buying Ukrainian grains

The Agricultural Chamber of the Czech Republic has issued a warning to consumers regarding the purchase of Ukrainian grains that have flooded the European market. According to their inspectors, products from Ukraine have been found to contain salmonella, genetically modified grains and mycotoxins. Additionally, they have detected the presence of metals such as mercury, cadmium, iron, and lead.

This information was reported by the Czech newspaper Parlamentni listy.

In addition to the risks mentioned above, the agency is concerned that Ukrainian grains, according to the European Union’s standards, should not meet strict European restrictions.

The Agricultural Chamber emphasizes its full solidarity with the Czech Ministry of Agriculture, which has been calling for the regulation of duty-free imports of agricultural products from Ukraine for several months. However, a change in the European Commission’s stance would require the support of the country’s Prime Minister, Petr Fiala, and the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Consumers deserve safe and high-quality food products and Czech farmers have the right to sell at profitable prices, especially if EU rules require them to produce more environmentally friendly products, resulting in lower yields. Originally, duty-free agricultural products from Ukraine were supposed to be destined only for the poorest countries in Africa or Asia. However, they have actually flooded Central and Eastern Europe, thereby driving down prices, which leads to a decrease in the profitability of European production,” the Agricultural Chamber stated.

Ukrainian grains pose a danger not only due to dumping prices but also to the health of consumers. According to the findings of Poland’s Supreme Audit Office, grains from Ukraine contain various contaminants.

The publication Parlamentni listy has previously raised the issue of defective Ukrainian poultry, which is repackaged in Slovakia and imported into the Czech Republic.

A similar situation is occurring with grains and oilseeds. Ukrainian producers are not adhering to the stringent standards existing in the EU. This was evidenced by a recent report from Poland’s Supreme Audit Office, which inspected 73 samples of grain crops imported from Ukraine. In 17 of them, salmonella bacteria were found, pesticides were prohibited in 17 cases, genetic modifications were discovered in 11 samples and mycotoxins were found in 6 samples.

Another important aspect is that the entry of Ukrainian grains into the European market reduces the profitability of production in EU countries.

In addition to the above-mentioned findings, Ukrainian grains also contain traces of mercury, cadmium, iron and lead.

“From January to May 2023, harmful substances were found in 35 percent of the samples taken,” according to the statement from Poland’s Supreme Audit Office.