KIEV — Ukraine has suspended exports of chicken meat to Russia by domestic producers MHP and Agromars while it investigates a Russian allegation of contamination, the Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service said.
"We have temporarily suspended (exports) upon Russia's request," a spokesman for the service said on Monday. He said the Russian authorities had said 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 spokeswoman Anastasia Sobotyuk said: "We expect the ban to be lifted in the near future, within a few weeks, because we are confident about the quality of our products."
(Reuters)
