Rospotrebnadzor suspended imports of pomegranates and grapes from Iran and Turkey

Rospotrebnadzor has suspended imports of lemons, mandarins, peppers, grapes and pomegranates from 33 producers from Turkey and Iran into Russia. The ban was due to the detection of residual amounts of 12 pesticides, ten of which are not registered in Russia and are not allowed for use, as well as due to the excess content of some of them by a factor of two, the agency said on its website. “Rospotrebnadzor has suspended the import of unsafe fruit and vegetable products from Turkey and Iran by 33 producers of lemons, mandarins, peppers, grapes, pomegranates, and due to repeated violations from 17.11.2021 – import of peppers and pomegranates of Turkish origin, from 02.12.2021 – import of Iranian pepper, from 10.12.2021 – import of Turkish origin grapes,” the report said. As a result of restrictions, producers were unable to import into Russia about 60,000 tons of grapes and more than 10,000 tons of pomegranates from Turkey. Rospotrebnadzor noted that consumption of one medium tangerine, which contains chloropyrifos, may cause toxic effects in a child weighing 20 kg. The consumption of grapes, in which the concentration of acetamiprid is 2.4 times higher, can cause acute poisoning in both a child and an adult. In October Rospotrebnadzor banned importation in Russia of four products from China, in which DNA of genetically modified maize and soy was found in an amount up to 20% with permitted 0.9%. There was no indication on the labeling of the products that they contained GMOs.