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Foreign labs recognize quality of Ukrainian cheese

The Ukrainian companies refuse these claims as unjustified

KIEV, March 15 (Itar-Tass) — Foreign experts have recognized Ukrainian-made cheeses as meeting quality standards, head of Ukraine’s veterinary and phytosanitary authority Ivan Bisyuk said on Thursday.

“Foreign laboratories have spotted no palm oils in Ukrainian cheeses that were prohibited by Russia’s consumer rights watchdog,” he told the 1+1 television channel, referring to the results of an independent expert study made by foreign laboratories at the request of the Ukrainian side.

According to Bisyuk, “in mid-February, after the ‘cheese problem’ emerged, his agency sent samples of cheese made by three cheese dairies – Piryatinsky, Mensky, and Gadyachsyr – to foreign laboratories for testing. “Expert opinion proved that these cheeses meet quality criteria and contain no vegetable oils,” he said and added that official results will be available in ten days.

Meanwhile, Russia’s consumer rights protection authority plans to check the quality of products made by Gadyachsyr on March 19 through 21, and of Prometey and Piryatinsky cheese dairies – on March 26 through 30.

Russia’s consumer rights protection authority banned imports and sales of dairy products made by seven Ukrainian companies, namely Prometey, Chernigor region; Piryatinsky cheese dairy and Gadyachsyr, Poltava region; Bashtansky cheese dairy, Nikolayev region; Lozvsky cheese dairy, Kharkov region; Khmenlinsk butter and cheese dairy, Khmelnitsk region; and Belle Shostka Ukraine, Sumy region.

According to the Russian consumer right watchdog, cheeses made by these companies contain vegetable oils and thus are inferior to Russian quality standards. The Ukrainian companies refuse these claims as unjustified.

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