A portion of the destroyed onions due to spoilage in Kalar, Garmian. (Photo: The Garmian Agricultural Quality Control Directorate)
Spoiled produce
Food safety crackdown destroys 100 tons of produce in Kalar market
KALAR — Food safety officials on Sunday destroyed roughly 100 tons of potatoes and onions at the Alwa market in Kalar, Sulaymaniyah’s Garmian Administration, after laboratory tests declared the produce unfit for consumption.
Mohammed Kweikha Zand, head of the Garmian Agricultural Quality Control Directorate, told 964media that four large trucks of potatoes and onions were seized after failing laboratory tests. The tests revealed that the potatoes contained dangerously high levels of chemicals, and according to Zand, they originated from Turkey. The onions, meanwhile, were rejected because of spoilage. Both products were promptly removed from circulation to protect consumers from potential health risks.
This seizure follows a series of recent actions in Kalar. On Feb. 8, authorities confiscated and destroyed seven tons of spoiled tomatoes imported from southern Iraq, deeming them no longer fit for consumption. The day before, quality control officials seized nearly 12 tons of spoiled oranges after laboratory tests confirmed the fruit was unsafe.
