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Russia Expands Western Food Import Ban

Russia's European food import ban will be expanded.

Russia's European food import ban on Tuesday will be expanded to include animal fat and meat byproduct imports, Russia's food safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said on Monday, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.

"On October 21, 2014, temporary restrictions will be introduced on imports to Russia from the European Union of a number of products used for food purposes," the agency's press service told RIA Novosti.

The ban applies to "namely, cattle and pig by-products, meat offal, cattle fat, pork fat (including lard) and bird fat," RIA Novosti reported.

Russia, in response to European Union sanctions, placed a temporary ban on most food imports from nations that had sanctioned Moscow for its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and subsequent support for pro-Russia rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Russia, the EU's second biggest food market after the United States, decreed a one-year ban on Aug. 6. on European fruits and vegetables, dairy products and meat.

Reuters reported in early September that the ban could cost the EU 5 billion euros ($6.4 billion) in lost revenue, citing an internal EU document.

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