YEREVAN, 14 Feb. Food Safety Inspection Authority products of Armenia considers it strange to stop selling certain batches of Jermuk mineral water in Russia, according to a statement posted on the regulator’s website.
On Monday it was reported that a resident of Vladikavkaz received a burn to the esophagus after taking a sip from a bottle of Jermuk mineral water — instead of water, it contained vinegar. A criminal case was opened in connection with his death on Tuesday. Rospotrebnadzor announced the suspension of the sale of certain batches of this mineral water to test for safety.
The statement notes that the inspection body did not receive any official information from the Russian Federation on this matter. “However, we consider it necessary to note that Jermuk mineral water has been exported to Russia since 2001, export volumes gradually grew from 350 thousand liters to 15,273,000 liters per year and each imported batch complies with the technical regulations of the EAEU,” the department emphasized.
It is noted that, in addition to Russia, mineral water is also exported to the USA, Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and EU countries.
«For 23 years, not a single case of poisoning with mineral water exported from the Republic of Armenia has been recorded, so the decision to stop selling certain batches of Jermuk mineral water in the absence of any negative changes in the production process looks very strange» , says the statement.
It is also noted that vinegar is not used in the production of Jermuk mineral water, and the substances used meet the requirements of international standards and are intended for use in the food industry. «The expected residual content of these substances, according to its technical characteristics, cannot cause a burn to the esophagus. The mineral water production process is a fully automated closed cycle and the presence of vinegar in the bottle contradicts the principle and organization of the automated production process. The minimum quantity of finished products is 1200 bottles, therefore, a discrepancy The above criteria should have been detected in at least the same number of bottles,” the statement said.
The inspection body promised, if necessary, to take appropriate control measures, taking into account the fact that samples of each batch produced are preserved, and also to clarify with Russian partners the grounds for making a decision to suspend the sale of mineral water.