On the day of the universal rights of children on June 1, Albana Meta together with her husband and her two children celebrated with a family dinner at the Artigiano restaurant in the area of the former block in Tirana.
The next day, her 7-year-old son, Abel, showed signs of high temperature resistant and vomiting. His health condition worsened with diarrhea and in parallel, the same symptoms appeared to his 12-year-old sister, Kresena, Albana, and her husband.
“I am 12 years old when my son is 7 years old, but never during these years of childbirth I have not been in such a dangerous situation for life,” says Albana. “Familiarly, we got into the hospital, but the boy was really in danger,” she added, describing the calvary her family had experienced.
Albana is a part of the health system as a health ministry employee, but this does not prevent some guilty of this situation.
“NOR INSTITUTIONS, BUT NOR THE RESTAURANT DID NOT DO THEIR JOB PROPERLY. “I DID NOT DINNE AT “JUST A RESTAURANT”, BUT AT ONE OF TIRANA’S BEST RESTAURANTS. AND I DO NOT EXCEPT THAT IN THAT BEAUTIFUL AND FINE DISH THAT IS BEING SERVED, TO HAVE SUCH A PROBLEM AS QUALITY “ALBANA ADDED.
The history of the Meta family is not the only one. Data provided by BIRN from the Public Health Institute show that dozens of “Artigiano” restaurant customers have been poisoned with Salmonella on 1-3 June 2016
At least 3 of the infected clients, including Ms. Meta, filed a complaint with the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office against the restaurant administrators. BIRN contacted the Artigiano restaurant administrators to get a response, but they did not want to give any explanation for what happened this summer’s start with their customers.
Similar to the Artigano restaurant, thousands of food poisonings are registered every year in Albania, but criminal proceedings filed by the Prosecutor’s Office are counted with fingers.
However, the experts point out that the prosecution is not the only responsible institution, but the fault lies on the shoulders and the Public Health Institute and the National Food Agency, which according to them do not properly fulfill the functions.
Leaders of these institutions, though accepting problems, blame the overlapping competencies and lack of funds, human resources, and poor infrastructure.
Epidemic eruptions
Data administered by BIRN after a request for information from the Institute of Public Health, IPH, show that from January 2015 to August 2016, in Albania there were more than 2875 cases of toxic toxico-infections and 67,744 cases of unspecified gastroenteritis.
This is considered a common situation in Albania, as in the period 2005-2014, toxic-food infections have fluctuated from 2000 to 3500 cases per year.
“Food poisoning takes second place, but it should be remembered that often the doctor’s diagnosis as unspecified gastroemeter, a number that grows 60,000-80,000,000 cases a year with a recent increase, may also include food poisoning, which it is often difficult to connect with one another, “says IPH.
The IPH argues that from the point of view of food safety, it is important to analyze the weight of all causes of the structure of diarrheal diseases in the country, including special cases with Salmonella or Shigelosis.
IPH data show that from 2005 to 2014, 200 to 600 cases of Salmonella, and a similar number of Shigeloza cases, were recorded annually in Albania.
Data collected by IPH for the past decade show that the main cause of epidemic outbreaks of food is Salmonella with 57.7% of cases, followed by Hepatitis A and Shigela, which indicates a poor hygienic-sanitary level.
In the same period, the country’s most polluted epidemics have been Tirana, Elbasan and Vlora. The IPH states that the concentration of these epidemics is mainly in the summer months, especially for those caused by Salmonella, which shows deficiencies in the processing or the proper chain of food safety and food care, as well as hygienic-sanitary conditions.
From 2005 to 2014, the number of epidemic outbreaks ranged from 1 to 6 outbreaks within a year. Over the past two years, the IPI has registered an upward trend – 8 cases in 2015 and 5 cases by August 2016.
“It is worth mentioning that in all cases, the source has been linked to businesses that trade processed products such as restaurants, bars, retail outlets etc. or as a consequence of the water contamination with which the food is processed, “said IPH.
According to the IPH, in all cases where the cause was not isolated, the identification of food poisoning and the relevant source was carried out on the basis of an in-depth epidemiological analysis.
“There are still no molecular or in-depth analyzes in Albania that link the food or product with the disease to humans,” the Institute said.
According to the IPH, the cooperation between the various state structures responsible for food security also deserves to be desired.
“Often the food security authorities do not cooperate during the epidemiological investigation, which in the case of food poisoning is extremely complicated and requires cooperation between health and veterinary structures,” the Institute said.
Food security challenge
For the National Food Authority, food security in Albania is a big challenge that requires more support from institutional actors. The director of risk management at AKU, Besnik Jaka lists a number of factors that he believes have made the work of the Authority almost impossible; ranging from lack of human resources and funds to the lack of basic infrastructure for laboratories.
“There are efforts by AKU to make steps forward in terms of food safety, but we can not say that we have achieved a quality food security,” says Jaka
“Certainly there is an effort from the AKU, but that all functions of the system have to function properly, from the local government, the Ministry of Health, the IPH, the ISHSH, the other institutions of the agriculture ministry, the agricultural directorates in the regions, he adds.
Jaka says that the AKU is tasked with inspecting a wide range of subjects ranging from small farmer to big production lines, but its infrastructure leaves to be desired.
“I can tell you that we are the only inspectorate that we do not have cars to send inspectors to the field,” he complains.
“The AKU wants much greater political and financial support, as this institution should be the first Albanian government’s focus for a more powerful support. Because we are what we eat, “added Jaka.
Ersida Teliti, an expert from the “Albanian Consumer” Center, explains that problems in the AKU start from ignorance of the law to the lack of human capacity to guarantee safe food.
“From the experience we have had in dealing with AKU we can say that tracking them remains only in letters. They simply prove that this product, which came from a supplier to this subject, is okay, “Teliti said.
“So they control customs documents or hygienic-sanitary conditions, while there is no tracking on the ground, as they are justified not having the capacity,” she added.
According to Jakës, currently AKU is supported by the European Commission with an ambitious project and is now in the phase of equipping 9 regional laboratories with contemporary equipment and staff training that will work on them.
“With the improvement of laboratory conditions, the number of analyzes we make and their quality increases. We can not talk about food safety without a quality lab, “he insists.
But despite the optimism of the risk director at the AKU, Kristaq Sini, a faculty professor at Biotechnology at the Agricultural University, is drastically concerned with food safety in the country.
According to him, because of poor control, in Albania, for years, endanger foods that are hazardous to health.
“Here comes 800 thousand tons of food per year and there is no control and we boast why we export 120 thousand tons. And you know what are the things that come to us: rubbish-filled with toxins, “he says.
Sini underscores that these food imports should be controlled by the AKU, but according to him the latter can not make any analysis.
“So it happens with our laboratories. It is rarely used and in most cases only when someone orders, as there are no funds for buying reagents, “Sini added.
He is so skeptical about the quality of food he attributes to them, and the scary growth of cancer cases in our country.
“They say that cancer cases have increased due to air pollution. It is not at all true, “Sini said.
“For me the main culprit are the meals. They sow them with chemicals, fertilize with chemicals, grow up with chemicals, and blush with chemicals that seem to have matured, but it does not really have anything healthy. Everything that weighs is poison, “he says.
The professor says that this chaos in the food market in Albania can only be solved through the EU accession process.
“EU membership saves us from this chaotic situation, as at least the products are more controlled. We are a country that produces everything but exports only eggs. Even the potato we exported stopped us from the EU, because they are a mascot and want to get four products per year. Food safety for me is an emergency, “he concludes.
Unlike Professor Sini who is very concerned about the quality and safety of agricultural and food products in Albania, the Ministry of Agriculture says that they are safe and that there are all institutional instruments to provide guarantees to the Albanian consumer.
“Albanian food products are traded in all the world’s markets because of the high standard they have,” BIRN Flamur Laze, General Director of the Agricultural Service at the Ministry of Agriculture, told BIRN.
“We guarantee the Albanian consumer that the food products circulating in the Albanian market, whether produced domestically or imported, meet all standards of safety standards and their quality,” he added
The legal loophole
The Public Health Institute told BIRN that along with the four members of the Meta family, 84 people were poisoned by food, mainly consuming the Cezar salad at the Artigano restaurant on 1-3 June.
According to the IPH, the coproculture analysis that was made to patients before starting antibiotic treatment has shown that we are dealing with food poisoning caused by Salmonella Enteritidis. The results of the analysis have suggested that 7 staff members of this restaurant have resulted in salmonella.
Patients were presented from June 1-6, 2016, near the emergency of the infected in QSUT, Pediatrics, Vlora Hospital, Fier and two private hospitals in Tirana.
At about 17 o’clock in the evening of June 2, the entire Meta family went to the American Hospital in Tirana to receive specialized medical help, as Abel’s condition was severe and showed no signs of improvement.
The boy was subjected to intravenous therapy at American Hospital 2 on June 3, while on June 4, he was delivered to the pediatric emergency of the Mother Theresa University Hospital Center, as his condition was not improving.
In QSUT, after being transferred to the Infectious Pediatric Unit and finding that Abel was infected with salmonella bacteria, doctors have added another antibiotic, administered ambulatory service for a 10-day period.
AKU’s Besnik Jaka says that the tests that were conducted later on showed that the source of the infection was the restaurant itself.
“Traceability has been made by the AKU and it has resulted that the products have not been salmonella carriers at the source,” Jaku said. “It has resulted that the problem has been focused inside the restaurant due to the processing of the products but also because of the employees, as some have resulted to have been carriers of salmonella,” he added.
On June 3, the ‘Artigiano’ restaurant was closed for a provisional period by the State Health Inspectorate, ISHSH. However, after carrying out some of the duties assigned to him, on June 13, ISHSH has lifted the suspension by allowing the restaurant to be reopened.
“This is our competence” – answers BIRN’s question, chief sanitary inspector Eltar Deda. Even before the incident, the restaurant had received objections from AKU and ISHSH.
Although the law “On Food” approved in 2008 entitles AKU to revoke business licenses, in cases where they have traded food that has harmed human health, the Authority has run out of business in the case of “Artisan” and he could not do any moves. This is due to the overlapping of competences given by the law to some institutions.
Given the health of some people, after the epidemic outbreak QSUT reported to the Institute of Public Health. Meanwhile, the State Health Inspector has been informed by the media on the morning of June 3 and according to the lawfulness of the law, has conducted the environmental inspection, has found it in violation of hygienic-sanitary conditions, and has taken the decision to close the his.
When AKU inspectors went to the subject, he was blocked and could not take any action as the subject had already been closed and the “proofs” of the AKU (which in this case were food products) were broken by ISI inspectors had been in front of them and took samples to analyze food products. So AKU has not been able to take any action.
“I have my reservations and I think that food, as it has been licensed as safe and has come out on the market, should be an attribute of health, ie IPH, ISHSH, DFS but in fact this part currently there is an AKU, as we deal with the hygiene and sanitation conditions of the subject, “says head of ISSH, Eltar Deda.
“So it was before, because foods directly affect the health of individuals, and health is the attribute of health and so should be even now. For me this is a big cramp, “he added.
Despite the conflict over the powers, Jaka says that in the “Artigano” case there is enough blame for everyone.
“In cooperation with ISHP and ISHSH administrative measures have been taken and blocking of activity has taken place. Once the administrative measures have been taken, when we went for verification we found that the subject changed the entire service protocol, the affected workers from Salmonella changed. So it was judged reasonable to resume the activity, “he said.
“Of course, our institutions have a share of the blame, as we should have better managed the health booklet of the staff and the way of processing food products in the kitchen,” Jaka concluded.
Legal challenge
In mid-2016, the Albanian Food Industry association AFI, for the sake of a study, requested information from 22 country prosecutors about the non-initiation or termination of food safety cases provided by articles 288 and 288 / a of the Criminal Code.
AFI received responses from 14 prosecutors; 7 of them did not have any such issues for the period 2013-2015, while 7 others reported in total for 25 cases that were terminated or a decision was made for their failure to do so for the same period.
According to the statistical year of the Ministry of Justice, in 2015 there were 9 convicted with fine for article 288 / a2 of the Criminal Code, the production and sale of hazardous substances for health.
Expert Ersida Teliti explains that the low number of proceedings and convictions comes as a result of lack of expertise in the field of justice in terms of food safety.
“From our personal studies we have noticed that Albanian courts do not know and do not apply the consumer protection law at all,” she said.
According to Telit, there is also a lack of knowledge of the law by lawyers, as most of this troop know civil code and all lawsuits filed under civil law.
“We have a lot of denunciations in social networks, but our consumers do not bring the issue further,” she said, adding that the customer himself is often apathetic about the violations in this area.
“The legal framework is almost perfect, but we have a sleeping consumer who agrees to buy products – let’s get on offer, but it’s been past the cadence date,” said Telit.
“The consumer has to become a protector of himself, if the consumer does not react, the business will continue to abuse,” she concluded.
According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, the case filed against the “Artigiano” restaurant in June is still under investigation; however, Albana Meta is unhappy with the rhythm of the prosecution’s work.
“I am very disappointed by the prosecution. I made a criminal report and no one contacted me to ask me about my claims, “she said.
Albana voices doubts that the file may have been manipulated, but nevertheless remains determined to go to the end of her justice claim, which she hopes will join others harmed by poisoning.
“I will go to the bottom of the question for two reasons: the first one has been harmed by the child’s health, as all that antibiotic is not without consequences to a growing baby. Secondly, I am a conscious citizen and everyone should be taught that citizens have rights, “Albana said.
“I wish that in our lawsuit we become some people who have suffered from the same subject, but even if they do not, I will continue my struggle,” she concluded. /Reporter.al/
