The consumer service, known as Rospotrebnadzor, announced Monday that an analysis of 14 samples of Ukrainian cheeses revealed their contents to contain vegetable oils. It said the oils were not listed as ingredients on the cheeses' packaging, a violation of Russian law.
"We will act strictly in accord with our legislation. It allows us to react in the broadest sense to such violations. Starting with removal from sale, confiscation, and so on," Onishchenko said, Interfax reported.
"Unfortunately, our interactions with the Ukrainian side responsible [for this matter] have produced no results. We have not thus far seen a desire to conduct a business-like conversation," Onishchenko said.
On January 12 Onishchenko said his service had concluded "in the fourth quarter of 2011 there was a noticeable deterioration in the quality standards of the cheese supplied from Ukraine," pointing in particular to an increased level of palm oil in certain cheeses.