Ukraine suspends chicken meat exports to Russia after complaint


KYIV |
Mon May 13, 2013 6:34am EDT

KYIV May 13 (Reuters) – Ukraine has barred exports of
chicken meat to Russia by domestic firms including MHP
while it investigates a Russian allegation of contamination, the
State Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service said.

“We have temporarily suspended (exports) upon Russia’s
request,” a spokesman for the service said on Monday, adding
that the Russian authorities claimed they had found harmful
salmonella and listeria bacteria in chicken from Ukraine.

“There will be an investigation … We have no information
so far; it is not clear in which producer’s meat they were
found.”

The suspension also affects sales to Belarus and Kazakhstan,
which are members of a Russia-led customs union.

MHP, which lists all the three countries among its main
export destinations, could not be reached for comment.

(Reporting by Natalia Zinets; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov;
editing by Jane Baird)