Russia prohibits EU meat imports over foot-and-mouth disease risk

(MENAFN) Russia’s food safety watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, has announced a ban on meat imports from the European Union due to concerns over foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The ban, which also extends to the transit of these products through Russian territory to third countries, will take effect on January 20.

The move follows Germany's report of its first FMD outbreak in nearly 40 years, discovered in a herd of water buffalo in Brandenburg, near Berlin. In response, German authorities have established a 3km exclusion zone and a 10km monitoring zone.

FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. Symptoms include fever, sores, blisters, and loss of appetite or movement. Infected animals are often culled to prevent the spread of the disease.

The outbreak has led to meat import bans from Germany by countries such as Australia, Argentina, South Korea, the UK, Canada, and Mexico. Several EU countries, including Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Poland, have also tightened border controls.

Rosselkhoznadzor, however, criticized the European Commission's containment measures, claiming they were insufficient to address the risk.

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