Horsemeat found in domestic Russian product

A report from the Russian Centre of Quality and Standardisation of Animal Drugs and Feed revealed that horsemeat was found during DNA testing of samples from the Bistro brand, which is made by the Remit Invetories Company in the Moscow region.

Russian veterinary watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor has already launched an investigation into the case. This is the first time that undeclared horsemeat has been found in meat products produced in Russia.

“At this stage we cannot say whether the mentioned products have been made out of a material of completely Russian origin or if any of the products used in the manufacture of the sausages were imported from Europe,”​ said a source in Rosselkhoznadzor.

Consumer concern​

The discovery of the horsemeat has left the veterinary services in a difficult situation. Russian consumers are beginning to doubt not only the safety of meat products from the EU, but also Russian-made products.

“For a long time, Rosselkhoznadzor has criticised the veterinary services of the EU for the lack of proper control over this scandal, and now horsemeat has been found in a [domestically-produced] product, which should be checked by Rosselkhoznadzor itself,”​ said experts from the Russian analytical agency Agrorucom.

“Given the fact that DNA tests of meat products in the Russian market are usually not conducted, it is possible that this is just the first time that horsemeat has been identified in sausages or any other processed products [in the Russian market].”​

It appears that the discovery of horsemeat inside the country has forced Rosselkhoznadzor  to take a softer stance on the import of EU meat products.

Commenting recently on the horsemeat scandal, deputy head of Rosselkhoznadzor Nikolai Vlasov, said: “Nothing terrible has happened, there is no immediate and obvious harm to human life.”

Rosselkhoznadzor had said it would ban EU imports if horsemeat was found in any other shipments, but Vlasov made it clear that the position of the agency had softened considerably. “We will avoid drastic steps. Any government intervention in the affairs of the business community needs to be appropriate, as we are considering economic risks too,”​ he said.