Yesterday, 16 September 2008, the delegation, led by the agriculture minister of Republic Portugal Mr. Jaime Silva and the agriculture and food minister of Republic Bulgaria Valeri Tsvetanov visited the meat processing enterprise TANDEM. In the factory the two ministers were made familiar with the conditions for manufacturing TANDEM meat products by Cyril Vatev, the enterprise’s proprietor.

“TANDEM is the Bulgarian leader in the meat processing branch” – with these words minister Tsvetanov introduced the company team to the Portuguese delegation. As it is well known, the meat processing company TANDEM covered all European standards for quality and food safety long before Bulgaria’s membership in the community.  TANDEM products are certified to be exported within the European Union. In the beginning of this year the company received the International Food Standard IFS, which guarantees that the products, manufactured under the trade mark TANDEM, meet the world safety and quality requirements. TANDEM covered 100% the 336 IFS standard requirements, which is a matchless achievement for first certification not only in Bulgaria, but also at European scale.

The Portuguese minister Jaime Silva and his delegation were impressed by the factory video surveillance system, which traces the whole production process in the enterprise and by TANDEM’s project for a veal producing eco farm in the village of Damyanovo, too.

“I saw the huge potential of your company, therefore I wish you to continue your development and to produce quality products at European level for the Bulgarian market. I am impressed by the growth shown by the Bulgarian meat processing industry and by the positive practices, introduced in your enterprise”, announced the Portuguese minister.

The Portuguese minister for agriculture Jaime Silva is at a state visit in Bulgaria after his Bulgarian counterpart’s invitation.  The purpose of his visit is to become familiar with the situation of the Bulgarian agrarian sector. Visiting successfully functioning Bulgarian companies of the processing industry were included in the Portuguese delegation programme.