January 13, 2012

As Ukrainian cheese products fail to meet quality standards, Russia's National Dairy Producers Union has suggested suspending imports of said product, said Andrei Danilenko, chairman of the union's management board.

"We are very worried that the overall volume of milk output in Ukraine is declining with the private sector accounting for over 75% of the country's milk producers. However, cheese production in Ukraine is on the rise, while the output of other dairy products also shows no sign of a decline," Danilenko said, adding that Ukraine is the world largest importer of palm oil.

Danilenko also said that Ukrainian law does not contain any quality control provisions for dairy products. Russian sanitary laws limit the use of vegetable fats in cheese production. The union suggests stiffening its control over imported Ukrainian cheese products until the required quality standards are met, Danilenko added.

Earlier on Thursday, Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight said that it has observed a steady decline in the quality of dairy products, including cheese, originating from Ukraine. The service attributed the decline to the unregulated use of vegetable fats.

In January–October 2011, Russia imported 55,500 tonnes of cheese from Ukraine, according to the Russian veterinary service. In 2010, Russia's cheese imports also amounted to about 56 tonnes, Tatyana Rybalova, the director of the union's information and analytical department, said earlier.