FOOD SAFETY ISSUES IN THE POSTCONFLICT TRANSITION PERIOD OF SOUTHEAST EUROPE.
"LEAD INTO THE FOOD CHAIN IN RURAL ALBANIA"


Prof. Dr. Edmond Panariti
Institute of Veterinary Research
Tirana
Albania


Abstract
Abrupt changes in the socio-economic settings may sensibly aggravate food safety issues and threaten the public health. Post-conflict periods in Southeast Europe triggered the onset of acute problems in food safety and in many cases animal production was involved as well.
Lead food poisoning cases in rural Albania, might be considered as representative to the period. The poisoning resulted from lead contaminated flour originating from repair of rural mill's cracked grindstone with metallic lead. Intoxication cases were reported all over the country rural areas, following the period of social unrest and conflicts in March 1997.
In North of the country, lead levels as high as 510 and 485 ppm were measured in flour and bran. The blood lead concentrations in the hospitalized individuals ranged from 0.31-0.95 ppm. The lead concentrations in the blood of cattle ranged from 0.13 to 0.44 ppm, whereas the corresponding lead milk levels ranged between 0.45 and 0.72 ppm.
The Situation of Food Safety in southeastern European countries, emerging from conflict situations as part of a difficult transition, clearly indicates how the associated sudden and abrupt changes in the socio-economic settings may sensibly aggravate food safety issues and threaten the public health. The Albanian cases might be regarded as representative for the region.
In Albania the period of anarchy following the collapse of state structures in early March 1997, comported drastic changes in food production patterns in rural areas.
Due to the imposed shortages in the imported flour, in many rural areas people had to make use of local inactive mills to procure the necessary food supplies . While trying to reactivate the old mills, in many villages metallic lead was used to repair the cracked grindstones.
Severe lead poisonings in humans from heavily contaminated flour was the consequence. Intoxications were reported from different villages all over the country, and lactating cows were exposed as well (Bardhoshi 1997).

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