MINSK, 18 February (BelTA) – Belarus suspended import of finished meat and dairy products from companies located in Germany (Bavaria, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia) on 16 February 2013, BelTA learnt from the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Belarus.

The information posted on the website of the department or veterinary and food supervision explains the reasons for the ban. According to Rosselkhoznadzor, the inspections carried out at German companies in Bavaria, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, showed that there is no effective veterinary control, which invalidates the product safety guarantees provided by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection of Germany.

“The inspections revealed the drawbacks in the German veterinary supervision system which makes it impossible to follow the sources of raw meat. These drawbacks allow meat processors to use raw materials from enterprises in the European Union and third countries which are not certified to export products of animal origin into the customs territory of the Customs Union, including Belarus,” reads the website.