Russia’s milk ban partially lifted

  • 2014-01-08
  • From wire report

ALL CLEAR: Some milk products are being allowed to flow into Russia again

VILNIUS - Russia’s consumer protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor at year-end lifted the ban on the importing of products from Lithuanian milk processing company Pieno Zvaigzdes, reports ELTA. The information was announced on the official Web site of the Russian Agency Rospotrebnadzor.

According to experts, such a decision was made after having investigated additional documents presented by Lithuania on Dec. 17. According to the information presented in the documents, Lithuania made every effort to ensure that production met the microbiological requirements. Moreover, Lithuania heightened the production controls, changed the tare of the products and arranged new labels containing all the components of the product.
According to the spokeswoman from the State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT), the service’s specialists had seen the official announcement on Russia’s official Web site, but they had not received any official message on the institutional level.

Meanwhile, Pieno Zvaigzdes said in a statement that it is going to restore exports to Russia as soon as possible and hopes that the Russian market will also open to other Lithuanian dairy companies in the nearest future.
“We are very glad to hear the news about restoring exports of our production to Russia, as the market of the neighboring country is very important to us,” said the company in a statement.

Pieno Zvaigzdes thanks the Lithuanian government for constructive cooperation with the representatives of Russia’s institutions on lifting the ban on dairy exports to Russia as well as Advisor to the Prime Minister Antanas Vinkus and Director of the VTMV Jonas Milius for a huge contribution to this process.

It was on Oct. 7 that Russia’s federal service on customers’ rights protection and human well-being surveillance Rospotrebnadzor suspended dairy imports from Lithuania to Russia, a move many considered to have a political basis connected to the then-upcoming Vilnius Summit and efforts to have Ukraine sign an association agreement with the EU.
Restrictions were imposed not only on the production of Pieno Zvaigzdes, but also on the production of Rokiskio Pienas, Silutes Rambynas. So far there is no information about lifting the ban on dairy exports of Rokiskio Pienas and Silutes Rambynas.