Minister: Supplier to blame for pork traces in soldier's food

The revelation that Bosnian soldiers of which many are Muslims had unknowingly been consuming pork within their rations has last week sparked outrage within Bosnia’s Armed Forces and prompted the Bosniak member of the tripartite Presidency, Sefik Dzaferovic, to “demand an official report on all the activities and sanctions against those responsible."

"We determined that the company, which was supposed to supply canned beef products, did not respect the agreement, although the declaration on ingredients on those cans matched what was agreed," said Defence Minister, MarinaPendes.

"However, the content did not match what the declaration said," she said, adding that the supply was immediately halted after the revelation and that the Ministry is working on submitting complaints.

She said that she ordered that all competent institutions should be informed, but also that the Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not check the imported product.

"We will ask for adequate compensation, and the lawyers within the Ministry will figure out how we will do that," she added.

It is important that all products imported into the country are thoroughly checked, she said, as the case has made all such products suspicious.

"I think this is a very good example, not only for us in the Defence Ministry, but generally for all institutions which monitor what citizens of Bosnia consume," she said.