Russia destroys 290 tns of Western food, ignores free handout pleas

MOSCOW, Aug 7 (PRIME) -- Russia’s Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight Service has destroyed 290 tonnes of food which was prohibited for import by sanctions since a law on food destruction was adopted on Thursday, the authority said in a statement.

The government has refused to revise the ruling despite a petition to distribute the sanctioned products for free among low-income people signed via Web site Change.org. Spokesman for the president, Dmitry Peskov, said that food destruction is not unethical because it aims at protecting people from low-quality uncertified imports.

“The first goal which is pursued is to stem smuggling, to ensure the fulfillment of Russian restrictive measures against several countries. The second one is the protection of economic interests of the country because smuggling is smuggling, it harms economic interests. And the third, in fact, the main thing is to take care of people’s health,” he said.

The Russian veterinary watchdog said that it estimates damage from Hollandaise flowers import at 100 million to 3 billion rubles. Russia will import flowers from the Netherlands only after laboratory examination of their health from August 10.

(63.8644 rubles – U.S. $1)

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