Russian consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said on Tuesday it had ordered retailers to withdraw batches of detergents produced by several foreign consumer groups.
The regulator said some products of Henkel, Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and Clorox had to be removed from the marketplace because they did not meet Russia's toxicological safety criteria.
Last year Russia banned many food imports from the European Union and United States in retaliation for their sanctions over Moscow's role in the Ukraine conflict. The list of affected countries was expanded this year and Russian regulators have also restricted Dutch flower imports, citing health risks.
The extent of the withdrawal of foreign detergent brands was not immediately clear. Local media said it would only affect some products rather than entire product lines.
Rospotrebnadzor said it was carrying out further tests on household chemicals and detergents of other producers but did not elaborate.
Henkel said it had not received any notification from Rospotrebnadzor and that all its products had passed toxicological checks in Russia and had a state certificate of safety.
"We are trying to find out what's going on and deciding on our next steps," said Henkel's spokeswoman Natalia Ovakimian.
The other companies affected could not be immediately reached for comment.
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