5 Thousand Tons of Technical Salt in Food Outlets

Every year, up to 5 thousand tons of technical salt are imported into Armenia, and a significant portion of this salt is used in the food industry, endangering the lives and health of citizens. This was stated today by Arek Ghukasyan, director of the Avan Salt Plant, during a press conference.

Ghukasyan mentioned that he and his employees conducted their own study of the salt market, and the results are alarming. Technical salt is usually used in the production of paper, laundry detergents, and, ultimately, it is used to treat icy roads in winter. In Ghukasyan's opinion, the industry in Armenia is not capable of 'absorbing' 5 thousand tons of technical salt, yet it is 'dissolved' in the market.

“The question arises: where is that salt going? The answer is clear: it is being used in the food industry. Frankly, this is a crime. Technical salt is processed with potassium ferrocyanide, which whitens it. And this is an extremely toxic substance. As a result, it turns out that people are being poisoned in broad daylight,” Ghukasyan noted.

Food industry enterprises may not even be aware of the origin of the salt they receive. Relevant state bodies, such as the food safety service and law enforcement agencies, need to address this issue. Ghukasyan has repeatedly appealed to the State Food Safety Service asking for inspections of food establishments. The service has stated that they conduct inspections periodically and confiscate technical salt in varying quantities.

“But we're talking about minimal volumes, 60, 100, 120 kg. This is insignificant compared to thousands of tons. A systematic approach and a comprehensive fight are necessary that cannot be left solely to the Food Safety Service,” he added.

The Food Safety Service has stated that they inspect food outlets in cases where they receive relevant alerts. They impose fines if necessary, but the oversight of technical salt imports is not within their functions. “If someone has specific information, let them contact us. We cannot check every food outlet every time. That would just be absurd,” said service spokesperson Anush Harutyunyan.

The director of the Avan Salt Plant did not disclose the names of the companies importing technical salt, citing it as commercial confidentiality. He assured that he has the necessary information about those economic operators at hand. The enterprise's leader has been dealing with this issue for two years, and he first paid attention to it after the sales volume of the Avan Salt Plant significantly decreased.

Ghukasyan shared that previously, the Avan Salt Plant submitted an application to participate in a competition announced by the Yerevan City Hall for supplying salt to treat roads in the upcoming winter. None of the companies importing technical salt were on the list of participants. He questioned the logic of what is being done with that salt. The plant leader reached out to the National Security Service regarding this matter, but was redirected to the Investigative Committee, which has yet to provide a response.