On 19th September the Food Safety and Economic Authority (ASAE) announced the seizure of nine tons of meat and fish frozen during a national enforcement action involving the inspection of 1325 vehicles.

“Operation Circle”, was held on Friday and aimed to “check the freight conditions in vehicles (food and non-food) along the main access roads to major urban centers, industrial and markets suppliers, “said the ASAE in a statement.

According to ASAE, authorities they found lack of hygiene irregularities in transport, concerning the climate control, product labelling and documentation of the goods.

During the action, developed in collaboration with the PSP and GNR over 1500 tons of various products (meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, bakery and pastry products, beverages, textiles and footwear, construction products between others) were inspected.

Following the inspection, the ASAE seized about nine tons of  fresh meat, frozen meat products and frozen fish products and filed 17 administrative offences for infractions.

The main offences detected were “the failure of the general and specific requirements of hygiene, lack of vehicle conditions for the transport of food and the lack of metrological control of temperature recording equipment,” said ASAE.

The operation took place in about 50 locations in the districts of Lisbon, Porto, Braga, Viana do Castelo, Mirandela, Coimbra, Viseu, Aveiro, Leiria, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Santarém, Évora, Beja, Faro and Albufeira.

During the surveillance operation ASAE also initiated a criminal proceeding for contempt, as they detected goods from an unauthorized warehouse (prior surveillance target of ASAE).  In addition, the vehicle did not have cold conditions for transportation of food products .