Russia-led Custom Union and Norway to resolve food safety issues hitting Norwegian salmon exports to RF

In a way similar to Listeria monocytogenes outbreak derailing Viciunai French smoked salmon expansion in the recent past, salmon exports of 13 Norwegian plants to Russia have been hit by restrictions as of 5 May current due to insufficient food safety routines as claimed by Russia's vet watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor. To resolve the crisis a team of Custom Union inspectors (RF, Belarus and Kazakhstan) will be visiting Norway in June in order to check plants wishing to export to Russia and sort out food safety concerns in negotiations with Norway's Mattilsynet, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/.

The check will begin on 11 June 2012 and continue within three weeks. Under Mattilsynet's proposal, all salmon processing companies which have been not been inspected during the previous check will be checked now as well as three plants which are currently restricted for shipments of chilled fish, but still allowed to export frozen fish subject to enhanced laboratory control. Total number of plants to be checked amounts to 25.

The restrictions shutting out imports of chilled fish from 13 Norwegian plants and placing frozen fish under enhanced control were implemented as of 5 May 2012 and hit the following establishments:

Rosselkhoznadzor has worded its decision as follows:

In connection with repeated discovery of products incompliant with requirements of the Russian Federation and the Customs Union, taking into account results of check in February 2012, as well as due to increased risk of importation of unsafe chilled seafood from Norway, as of 5 May 2012 Rosselkhoznadzor introduces temporary restrictions for importation of chilled fish from a number of Norwegian plants (see the list above).

The decision of Rosselkhoznadzor caused mixed responses from the fish industry players in Russia depending on the interests.

The measures were welcomed by national producers of wild salmon and it is also claimed that the Russian Sea-led association of importers is set to profit from the development, the ban shutting out mostly suppliers of the competing Fish Union members.

In its turn, the Fish Union amalgamating processors and Russian subsidiaries of foreign exporters accused the vet authority of reducing competition on the market.