The NKR government has lately been looking into the question of food safety. The issue has cropped up since rumors have been flying amongst local residents that watermelons have been the cause of a rash of food poisoning cases reported in the area. Doctors, on the other hand, claim that no such cases of watermelon poisoning have been verified and that the real culprit lies in the poor eating habits of people and the way some foods are cultivated. NKR Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan recently assembled a panel of experts to look into the matter. The panel reported the findings of infectious disease experts who scoured the countryside, studying watermelon patches and fields in the Askeran, Martuni and Kashatagh districts. Nitrate levels were found to be normal in the fields tested in Kashatagh and Martuni and in twelve fields tested in Askeran. Only two fields in Askeran showed higher than normal levels of nitrate. Watermelons from these areas were deemed unfit for human consumption and removed from store shelves and other sites. PM Harutyunyan ordered that all watermelon fields need to be tested and preventative measures taken where needed. He also directed appropriate state agencies to increase spot inspections of stores and markets to be on the lookout for food items with expired usage dates and those without proper certification.