Russia has created a poultry-breeding program to reduce its dependence on meat imports, Bloomberg reports. The country has used Soviet technology—which created "a bigger and tastier version of Gallus gallus domesticus" that apparently nearly went extinct following the collapse of the government—to establish a program that aims to reduce foreign imports of food products. Bloomberg also notes that a "replacement program for potatoes" has been approved, while a program for sugar beets is in progress. "To our knowledge, no country has a large-scale poultry breeding program that competes with the major corporations," Bloomberg quotes a scientist with the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization as saying. “They thought we wouldn’t be able to compete with them in a million years,” one of the scientists who worked on the Soviet project reportedly told the news outlet. “Now it’s a completely different situation. Friends are friends, but you know how it goes.”
Tag Archives Russia
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled in favor of the European Union in a dispute over Russia’s 2014 ban on the import of live pigs, fresh pork and other pig products following cases of African Swine Fever in some EU regions. The ban violated WTO rules on restricting trade based on sanitary and phytosanitary measures, the organization concluded. In an August 19, 2016, press release, the European Commission admitted that many of the products covered by the prohibition continue to be “restricted by a politically motivated ban imposed on EU agri-food products by Russia,” but noted that “the panel’s findings are of systemic importance, since they remind Russia about its international obligations and the fact that these cannot be arbitrarily ignored.” See EU Press Release, August 19, 2016. Issue 615
Russian MP Oleg Mikheyev has reportedly asked the government to require “graphic warning labels” on fast-food packaging in an effort to stop the spread of obesity and improve the health of Russian citizens. Mikheyev, who previously proposed a tax on “junk food,” also argued that producers of food products such as potato chips or soft drink be required to include photos of illnesses caused by excessive consumption of those products. “People know that sugar can cause type-2 diabetes, but few of them actually know what the trophic ulcers look like. Same goes for kidney stones that appear because of excessive consumption of salty foods or cholesterol plaques,” Mikheyev reportedly wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Russian politicians have discussed mandatory labeling for fast food and other food products in the past, including in a July 2015 bill that proposed restricting fast-food and alcohol ads. See RT, January…
Russia has imposed a moratorium on the use of genetically modified organisms in domestic food production. Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich reportedly made the announcement during a biotechnology conference in Kirov on September 18, 2015. Russia’s action follows similar moves by France, Germany and Scotland. See Reuters, September 18, 2015. Issue 580
The Belarussian Chamber of Representatives has reportedly approved draft legislation that would stop the practice of advertising products and events other than alcohol beverages with names and logos that are confusingly similar to alcohol brands. Some bottled waters, for example, are apparently promoted with names, fonts and images that are associated with vodka brands with just a slight change in the nam —a practice referred to as “umbrella” advertising. Existing advertising law would be tightened to help reduce the use of alcohol, combat alcoholism and reduce tobacco consumption—the latter by applying the same standards to ad campaigns bearing a resemblance to tobacco product brands. The bill will become law unless rejected by the National Assembly’s Council of the Republic or the president. See Minskby.com, October 23, 2014. Issue 542
A New York federal court has allowed Lanham Act claims for the Stolichnaya trademark to proceed in a long-running case between a Russian state-chartered company and several international beverage companies. Fed. Treasury Enter. Sojuzplodoimport v. SPI Spirits Ltd., No. 14-712 (U.S. Dist. Ct., S.D.N.Y., order entered August 25, 2014). Federal Treasury Enterprise Sojuzplodoimport (FTE), owned by the Russian Federation, alleges that it owns the Stolichnaya trademarks, but SPI Spirits purports to be the private successor to the state-owned company that owned the trademarks before the Soviet Union dissolved and several public entities became private companies. The Second Circuit previously held that FTE lacked standing because it was neither an assign nor legal representative under the Lanham Act. Since that ruling, the Russian Federation assigned its rights to the Stolichnaya trademark to FTE, and the New York federal court has found that the assignment cures FTE’s previous lack of standing issue.…
Russia has relaxed its food ban against the European Union by clarifying that it will allow imports of salmon and trout hatchlings, potato and onion seed, sugar maize hybrid and peas for planting, lactose-free milk, flavor additives, and food fibers. The move follows criticism from within the country on the effects the import prohibitions would have on Russians, and according to the Moscow Times, it will also ease the bans’ burden on neighboring Finland. To soften the effects on the markets for fruits and vegetables for the rest of Europe, the European Union has set aside €125 million to compensate producers for keeping several of their perishable products off the market to avoid a price collapse. Further information on Russia’s food bans appears in Issue 533 of this Update. See CNN, August 18, 2014, and Moscow Times, August 21, 2014. Within Russia, consumer protection agency Rospotrebnadzor has introduced fines—between 20,000 and…
In response to recent sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine, Russia has prohibited food imports from the United States, European Union, Australia, Norway, and Canada. The ban extends to meat, fish, produce, and milk products and will remain in place for one year. Although alcohol was not included in the announced food import bans, the Russian consumer protection agency, Rospotrebnadzor, has reportedly threatened to prohibit the import of Kentucky Gentleman bourbon, citing potential carcinogens. In July 2014, Russia banned the import of soy products, cornmeal, dairy products, and canned foods from Ukraine and most fruit and vegetables from Poland. Some Russians have been critical of the ban and its projected effects on the Russian food supply. “[L]iterally every [Russian] family will be affected,” Yevsey Gurvich, head of Russian company Economic Expert Group, told The Washington Post. Russian bans of food imports have frequently coincided with their political tensions. Information…
The Russian consumer protection agency, Rospotrebnadzor, has reportedly announced that it filed a claim alleging that McDonald’s has misrepresented the nutritional information of several hamburger and ice cream menu items and that two restaurant locations showed traces of E. coli contamination in their salads and Caesar wraps. Although Rospotrebnadzor said it filed a lawsuit on July 3, 2014, a McDonald’s representative told the media in late July 2014 that the company had not received either an official complaint from the court or a notice from the agency. The complaint allegedly accuses McDonald’s of listing nutritional information that indicated its hamburgers and milkshakes had about one-half or one-third of the actual calorie, fat, protein, and carbohydrate counts. According to The New York Times, Russia has targeted food imports during geopolitical tension before, banning cheese and wines from post-Soviet neighbors during times of disagreement with those countries. Following Russia’s annexation of the Crimean…
According to a news source, the Russian Supreme Court has denied a challenge filed by environmental groups to government Decree No. 839, which will allow the registration of genetically modified (GM) crops and products containing GM ingredients beginning July 1, 2014. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed the decree in late September 2013, and the groups filed their court challenge in December. They also wrote to President Vladimir Putin, asking for him to prohibit the cultivation of GM crops in the country. The Russian Supreme Court press service reportedly indicated that under the Code of Civil Procedure government actions “can only be contested if they are in effect and . . . give some rights and duties to citizens and legal entities at the time they are contested.” National Association of Genetic Safety Director Yelena Sharoikina reportedly said, “It turns out that the Supreme Court suggests that we should wait for…
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