Russia to restrict feed imports from the UK and Canada

The decision was made due to the repeated detection of undeclared and unregistered GMO components in the products of companies from UK and Canada…

The appeal followed restrictions Rosselhoznadzor placed on one UK and one Canadian company, which are scheduled to come into effect on June 17. Rosselhoznadzor explained that both companies had been found exporting products containing unregistered GMO components. For the same reason, Rosselhoznadzor asked the UK and Canada to fully stop exporting feed products to Russia for the time being.

Reasons for feed import restrictions

“The decision was made due to the repeated detection of undeclared and unregistered GMO components in the products of companies from UK and Canada, and an excess of the permissible level of their content in products subjected to veterinary control,” Rosselkhoznadzor said, adding that the lack of progress on some previous disputes over “similar violations” was another reason to stop export from the UK and Canada.

Restrictions will impact feed additives and pet food markets

Local market participants explained that the Rosselkhoznadzor appeal is obligatory for implementation. If there is no reaction from the UK and Canada, Rosselkhoznadzor will restrict import supplies on its side. The restrictions will affect not only feed but all feed additives and pet food.

Russia imposed feed import restrictions on several countries

It is believed that both the UK and Canada have been increasing sales to the Russian market, as several other major supplies were hit with the GMO-related restrictions.

On May 18, the Russian veterinary watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor prohibited importing feed additives from Germany after a routine inspection revealed GMO residues in a batch of supplied products. Russia banned the import of feed additives from Spain and the US earlier this year and the Netherlands in late 2020, in each case also citing GMO fears.

Shortage of feed additives

The Russian National Feed Union claimed that Russia might be on the verge of an acute shortage of some feed additives.

Restrictions unduly penalise pet food

The import restriction on pet food from Western countries jeopardized numerous pets in Russia, as the country depends on medicated pet food import, the Russian union of pet companies said in a statement.

Russian law doesn’t separate pet food from feed, so all restrictions introduced against feed additives from any country are applied to pet food, the pet food companies said. Market participants stressed that all GMO products are almost always found in feed products and almost never in pet food, but pet food companies are penalized nevertheless.