December 31, 2012

Russia withdraws export permits from Bulgaria meat firms

Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control (Rosselkhoznadzor) has withdrawn export permits from five Bulgarian meat and dairy processing firms.

Bulgarian Agriculture Minister, Miroslav Naydenov, said that the decision had been taken after inspections conducted at the factories in October.

Naydenov reminded that he had agreed on joint inspections with his Russian counterpart during his visit to Moscow in early October.

Bulgaria's Agriculture Minister made clear that the export permits of the five meat firms had been revoked because they had failed to meet Russia's requirements.

The companies stripped of export permits to Russia are Avis, Brezovo, BBC Handel, Mesni Prosukti (Meat Products), and Mekom.

Naydenov requested a report from Yordan Voynov, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, about the reasons for the ban and for the failure of the companies to meet Russian requirements.

In an interview, Voynov made clear that the inspection of Russian experts had taken place at the invitation of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency.

He noted that it was normal practice and that it had happened before for companies to be taken off the list of trade partners.