PRESS: Sanctioned dairy products can return to Russia

MOSCOW, Aug 26 (PRIME) -- The association of major Russian dairy producers has asked the Agriculture Ministry to allow imports of only specialized lactose-free milk, used for medical purposes, as Western suppliers can use the current permission to restart supplies of sanctioned products, business daily Kommersant reported on Tuesday.

On August 20, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed amendments to the imports ban, allowing supplies of lactose-free milk. Kommersant said that, for instance, Finnish company Valio can resume up to 70% of supplies, as the products are registered as lactose-free, but only four of its products are registered as specialized.

It will take other Western dairy makers about from one to two months to reregister their products as lactose-free. Registering a specialized lactose-free product requires clinical tests at the Federal Service for Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare Oversight.

Major retailers said they have received no proposals from Western companies on restarting the supplies. “Every day they gather us and explain what we can purchase and what we cannot,” business daily quoted a representative of one of the retailers.

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