Russian food safety inspectors leave Hungary; results seen in 1-2 months

blExperts of Russia’s plant and animal health authority Rosselkhoznadzor have left Hungary after winding up reviews local companies must undergo to regain entry to the Russian market if an embargo is lifted, a farm ministry official told.

Lajos Bognar, Hungary’s chief veterinarian, said the results of the reviews would be finalised within 1-2 months. Till then, the Russians will not make any announcements regarding the matter, he added.

The Rosselkhoznadzor experts conducted inspections at 16 Hungarian companies, including ones in the meat, poultry and dairy businesses over ten days. Mr Bognar said he had met with Alexey Alekseyenko, the deputy head of Rosselkhoznadzor, to discuss expanding cooperation between the two countries’ food safety authorities. Russia introduced an embargo on food imports from Europe last August, as a counter-measure to sanctions by the West because of the crisis in Ukraine.