You're reading: Onishchenko: Russia allows supply of Ukrainian cheese ‘in special regime’

Kotlyakovo, Bryansk region, Russia - Ukrainian cheese will be imported into Russia in small shipments, Russia's Rospotrebnadzor director and chief sanitary inspector, Gennady Onishchenko, told Interfax on Wednesday.

Onishchenko confirmed that Rospotrebnadzor has allowed the import of a small consignment of Ukrainian cheese.

"There is a small batch. We have allowed the import of thirty batches, and three were found to be bad. That was some 39 tonnes. The rest is being imported," Onishchenko said.

"The next batch is now coming," Onishchenko said, adding that Ukrainian cheese will be imported into Russia "in this special regime" for the time being.

Last week, the Russian sanitary services lifted an embargo on the supply of cheese from four Ukrainian enterprises (OOO Hadiachsyr, AO Pyriatyn Cheese Factory, Prometei (Mensky branch), and Dubnomoloko). Samples of cheese batches have been tested by Rospotrebnazor experts.

Onishchenko said there are problems with the "oil balance" in Ukrainian cheese, despite Ukrainian experts’ allegations. "It was at the lowest acceptable level," he said.

Onishchenko said this indicates that," despite the noble outrage of our Ukrainian partners, who say they have been a member of the WTO for a long time, they have no production culture."

"They still don’t have a production culture. It doesn’t start with processing, it starts with materials, and the dairy materials are apparently bad there," Onishchenko said, adding that "controls will continue."

Onishchenko could not confirm the information stating that the first batches of Ukrainian cheese crossed the border on Wednesday.