Bulgarian Food Safety Agency detects scrapie outbreak and orders destruction of 174 tonnes of unsafe food

The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BABH) confirmed a scrapie outbreak affecting sheep and goats in two linked farms in the village of Teshovo, Hadzhidimovo Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province. About 220 sheep were involved, prompting the establishment of a 5‑km protection zone and a 20‑km surveillance zone covering nearby villages and towns. Owners will be compensated and strict movement restrictions were applied, while investigations continue to trace animal and product movements. The agency stresses that the disease does not pose a direct risk to humans but could cause significant economic losses to the livestock sector.

Separately, BABH carried out 12,185 inspections of food production, processing and distribution facilities between 22 June and 21 July 2026. The inspections resulted in the seizure and destruction of 174,092 kg of food of animal and non‑animal origin due to violations such as expired shelf‑life, unclear origin, improper storage and inadequate hygiene. A total of 859 prescriptions and 120 administrative violation acts were issued, along with numerous orders to halt activities at offending establishments, to protect consumer safety.