Bulgaria’s food safety agency has ordered the destruction of over two tonnes of dairy products after discovering that a farm in Silistra Province had manipulated production dates on yogurt, sour milk, and ayran.
The Bulgarian Agency for Food Safety (БАБХ) announced on April 26, 2026, that inspectors found significant violations during an inspection carried out on April 24 at a dairy farm in a village in Silistra region. The agency stated that more than 2 tonnes of sour milk and yogurt, along with over 4,200 litres of ayran, would be destroyed by order of the agency due to the manipulation of production and expiration dates.
During the inspection, officials discovered sour milk and yogurt without mandatory identification labels that verify batch and shelf life. They found packages of sour milk weighing a total of 750 kg and nearly 17,000 bottles of ayran bearing future production dates, indicating tampering with shelf life. The agency noted that the production date marked on the ayran was April 25, 2026, despite the inspection occurring on April 24.
The violation poses a serious risk to consumer health by undermining traceability requirements and food safety regulations. БАБХ emphasized that the lack of proper labeling makes it impossible to verify product origins and safety, potentially exposing consumers to spoiled or unsafe dairy goods.
The agency did not disclose the name of the farm involved in the incident, referring only to its location in a village within Silistra Province. No arrests or further legal actions were mentioned in the official statement released by БАБХ regarding the case.
This incident follows heightened scrutiny of dairy production standards in Bulgaria, with food safety officials increasing inspections across rural farms to ensure compliance with EU and national regulations on food labeling and traceability.
Consumers are advised to check product labels carefully and report any suspicious labeling or expired goods to local food safety authorities. Official updates on food safety alerts and product recalls can be found on the БАБХ website.
As of the date of this report, no further updates have been issued by БАБХ regarding the investigation or potential follow-up actions against the farm involved.
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