Foreign firms barred from importing meat into Russia

Over 80 foreign companies were stripped of meat import licences into Russia this year because of deemed poor quality, Russia's state veterinary service Rosselkhoznadzor said Thursday.
"The right to export meat to Russia was stripped from 83 foreign companies, including 37 EU-based ones -- one in France, Lithuania, Finland and Iceland each, three in Belgium and Spain each, four in Denmark, five in the Netherlands and 18 in Germany," the agency said in a statement.
The ban also included "nine US companies, 14 Brazilian, three in China and Ukraine each, two in Vietnam and Moldova each, one in Chile, Argentina, India, Belarus and South Korea each," the statement read.
Produce from 126 Russian farms and meat producers was also found deficient this year, the statement added.