Russia introduced ban on Finnish milk, meat
Russian authorities have introduced an import ban on food products from 14 diary and meat product producers in Finland.
According to Finnish broadcaster Yle, Russia argues that the operations of several Finnish food producers do not meet Russian food safety standards. For instance, the Russians have said that transport times for Finnish milk are excessive. Diary product producer Valio however insists that the long transport time is not a problem because of the high standards in the entire production chain.
Bilateral talks on the issue between Finnish and Russian food safety officials might start late this week. According to newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Russian authorities believe the issue can be resolved and the import ban lifted in the near future.
Skeptics believe that the ban might have more to do with political maneuvering in Russia than any real concern about the safety of Finnish food imports, Yle reports.
