Dairy's export license suspended

TALLINN (BNS) - The Estonian Veterinary Department suspended Aug. 18 the United Dairies' export and import license because a large amount of old butter was discovered at the company, the Aripaev business daily wrote.

United Dairies spokesperson Ene Nobel said the export license was restituted the same day and claimed that suspicions raised by the Polva branch of the Veterinary Department were groundless.

But Vladimir Razumov-ski, head of the Veterinary Department's border control division, said although the company had applied for the license to be restituted to it, this was not done on Aug. 18.

"The butter must be either destroyed or returned," Veterinary Department's Director General Ago Partel said. "Such a punishment is much more expensive and painful than any administrative fine."

United Dairies Director General Andres Soosaar denied that the company had used any substandard raw material and the export license of its subsidiary, Polva Dairy, cannot be put in danger.

Soosaar also denied that United Dairies had imported old butter.

Razumovski claims the United Dairies butter kept at a freeze plant in Tartu and a bonded warehouse had expired last year.

United Dairies Board Chairman Aivar Pargmae told the Baltic News Service that the information United Dairies butter being reportedly past its best before date and its sale for fodder has not been proven, and the allegation damages the company's reputation.