In Russia, a ban will be introduced on the use of genetically modified products, which have long been abandoned in many EU countries.

What other products are prohibited in the West, but are freely sold in Russia? And isn't it time to ban them here? Tells Oleg Medvedev, professor at Moscow State University, head of the National Center for Healthy Nutrition.

GMO products

- Created as "food for the poor" - they planned to feed the starving population of Africa. Then the experts decided that the future belongs to them (they are stored for a long time, are not afraid of pests and allow you to get a high yield). As a result, some countries (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay) abandoned soybean seeds and completely gave their fields for GMO crops.

Later, scientists recognized that the long-term consequences of the use of GMO products are difficult to predict and can lead to an increase in various diseases. Switzerland, Germany, Serbia and others have declared themselves GMO-free zones. Now.

Products with synthetic hormones

(meat and meat products)

Banned in the European Union, Australia, Canada, Israel and New Zealand.

Hormones for livestock are like a protein shake for bodybuilding fans. They help to achieve rapid weight gain in animals, and the use of growth hormone - to increase milk yield. It has been convincingly proven that, once in the human body, hormones can cause cancer of the breast, colon and prostate.

In theory, in Russia, the use of hormones in animal husbandry is prohibited by law, but meat grown on the domestic market, unlike imported meat, does not pass control.

Foods with artificial trans fats

(leaders in content - a part of margarines and spreads, hydrogenated vegetable oil, semi-finished products, chips, long-lasting confectionery)

Trans fats have been widely used since the 50s of the last century, in the wake of the fight against harmful animal saturated fats. Trans fats were marketed as a safe substitute. However, it quickly became clear that they accumulate in the body and this leads to the occurrence of severe diseases (diabetes, atherosclerosis), memory impairment, and also to a decrease in the ability to conceive.

WHO experts believe that there is no minimum safe level of consumption of trans fats and the only way out is to completely ban them. Despite the protests of food workers (the use of trans fats makes food production cheaper), in many countries restrictions on the content of these dangerous substances in food have been introduced, and in Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Iceland, Norway and Finland, trans fats are completely banned. The Food and Drug Administration also ordered the food industry to completely eliminate trans fats for three years. There is a danger that foreign producers will redirect their products to Russia, where trans fats are not controlled at all.

In Europe, food bans also exist for political reasons. In particular, for ethical reasons, it is prohibited:
Foie gras
The French delicacy, which has come under sanctions in Russia, is also banned in all EU countries (except France and Hungary), Turkey and Israel. The ban is associated with cruelty to animals - the liver is obtained by forcibly overfeeding a bird (because of this, the liver, the basis of foie gras, is enlarged).
horsemeat
Banned in the USA, Ireland, Australia and Canada.
This prohibition has nothing to do with harm and good - the use of horse meat for food is not welcomed by the Catholic Church. In the United States and England, the use of sports animals is prohibited.

Products with artificial colors

(biscuits, ice cream, dry snacks, desserts)

The fact that natural dyes from vegetables and fruits are better than artificial ones is obvious to everyone. However, even among the unhelpful artificial ones, there are potentially dangerous ones, which are prohibited everywhere, except for Russia.

These include E102 (tartrazine), a bright orange dye. Used in yoghurt, ice cream, soups, chips. May cause runny nose, nausea, and abdominal pain. Especially undesirable for allergy sufferers (fraught with an asthma attack). E142 - green synthetic dye. It is used in the manufacture of canned peas, ice cream, desserts, sweets and confectionery, minced fish, seasonings. It is added to mustard, fish roe, edible coatings of cheeses and sausages. Systematic consumption of food can lead to serious allergic reactions.

E425 - food stabilizer, thickener. It is used in the preparation of marmalade, fruit jelly, preserves, jam, fruit candy filling, etc. In the European Union and the United States, after the hype in the media about several cases of suffocation in young children, they even introduced a ban.

Raw milk

Banned in Canada and 22 US states. Dangerous infections (extrapulmonary tuberculosis and tick-borne encephalitis) can be transmitted through fresh milk, which was recently considered beneficial. In addition, milk disrupts the blood clotting process, impairs its quality and can lead to severe anemia.

In Russia, raw milk is sold in farm stores and markets. Trading networks do not take it for sale due to its short shelf life.

Farmed salmon

Banned in Australia and New Zealand.

Fish raised in captivity are devoid of most of the beneficial properties. She is fed mainly with waste, yeast (for rapid growth) and dyes (for giving a natural color) are also added to the feed. Eating captive-raised salmon can lead to nervous system disorders and cancer.

The destruction of contraband food, as one would expect, raised a wave of indignation in the liberal press.

This is a painfully convenient topic so as not to work it out.

The scheme is simple: at one pole, customs officers crush cheese with rollers, and at the other, someone is malnourished, undershot, etc.

A classic situation suitable for stirring up dissatisfaction with the authorities under shouting: "How so, be afraid of God! It would be better if they were given to the poor, they were taken to orphanages, they were assigned to the veterans!"

The fact that there is not enough food for everyone is not taken into account.

As well as the fact that tomorrow its flow will dry up, as frightened smugglers will stop trying to illegally enter our market. And no one thinks at all that for distribution it is necessary to create special structures and finance them.

The power of thought in liberals doesn't reach that far... They would have shouted out something sonorous, impudent and listened with a satisfied look to the echo. And that's all.

By the way, no one talks about how the West would make fun of the attempts to distribute the confiscated provisions.

Although it can be assumed that there would be no less noise than with Yukos, and the owners of the smuggling would immediately run to the ECHR and other fair places to try to recover billions of euros from Russia for the lost property.

As you know, over the past two years, Russia has repeatedly been subjected to the imposition of sanctions by many countries. This situation in the country has developed primarily due to the very difficult relationship between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. That is why in 2014 the Russian government developed a bill that came into force in August 2015. It implies a ban on the import of the main category of goods and food products from countries that have applied sanctions against the Russian state.

Today it is forbidden to import some goods and food from:

1. United States of America.
2. Ukraine.
3. Countries that are part of the European Union.
4. Canada.
5. Norway.
6. Australia.

It should be recalled that the application of sanctions began back in 2014. It was then that a list of goods prohibited from import from some European countries was developed. The list of goods is still valid in 2019.

List of prohibited goods for import into the Russian Federation

Prohibited goods and foodstuffs are goods that were manufactured directly on the territory of those countries that introduced sanctions norms last year. That is, it is forbidden in 2019 to import goods manufactured in:

It is important to remember that the bill came into force only in August 2015. The list of prohibited goods and foodstuffs is very extensive and covers almost the entire Russian consumer market. In 2019, you cannot import meat from the above countries.

Moreover, this rule does not apply to all types, but only beef, veal and poultry. Also, the internal organs of these animals can be attributed to the list of prohibited goods. That is, the liver, lungs, heart are also prohibited.

An important point is that the ban applies to meat in any form. Chilled, frozen, salted products are also prohibited, as is the carcass of live poultry (duck, chicken, turkey, guinea fowl). It is impossible to carry such products across the Russian border.
If such a product is identified, customs officers have every right to confiscate it and even have the right to impose a fine on a person for attempting to import such products.

The list of prohibited products also includes representatives of the aquatic world. These include:

1. Cancers.
2. Shellfish.
3. Fish.

In 2019, the ban affected almost all species of fish. It is important to remember that fish cannot be transported both live and in any other form (frozen, chilled or canned.). A detailed list of prohibited fish is presented below. But it should also be borne in mind that there are several types of fish that are prohibited fresh, but are quite allowed in the form of separate fillets.
in fresh or chilled form, you cannot carry a list of such fish species as:

The entire list of fish products presented above cannot be imported in the form of whole carcasses. The exceptions are milk, liver and caviar of these fish. Also, you cannot import all of the above types of fish frozen or in the form of minced meat.

All other types of fish can be imported into the territory of the Russian Federation. The ban regulates only that fish that has been heat treated (smoked) or another method of preparation (salted, dried). Fish in any brine is also banned.
In this case, not only the carcasses of the fish themselves, but also its components are not allowed into Russia.
The ban also applies to:

1. Cancers.
2. Grebeshkov.
3. Shellfish.
4. Oysters.
5. Mussels.
6. Snails, excluding liparis.
7. Cuttlefish.
8. Abalone.
9. Clams.
10. Octopuses.
11. Holothurian.
12. Sea urchins.
13. Jellyfish.
14. Squid.

The list of prohibited products also includes dairy products, which include:

1. Milk whey.
2. Cream (condensed or not condensed).
3. Milk.
4. Cottage cheese.
5. Butter.
6. Dairy based pastes.

All types of cheese can also be classified as forbidden products in 2019.
The ban also applies to many vegetable crops. It is prohibited to import:

All of the above products are not allowed to be imported in any form.
With regard to nuts, the following varieties can be distinguished that are prohibited for import:

1. Cashew.
2. Brazilian.
3. Coconut.
4. Gretsky.
5. Pistachios.
6. Fishing line.
7. Areca.

Also, you cannot import many fruits such as:

Russia also announced last year that all sausage or finished products will also be included in the list of products prohibited for import.

A ban on the import of such a huge amount of goods can provoke not only a shortage of products necessary for the population, but also a very rapid increase in its value. But the United States is not the only states whose products have been banned by the Russian Federation.

Ukrainian products have a no smaller list, the import of which in 2019 is strictly regulated by current legislation.

Products from Ukraine

The imposition of bans on the import of some goods of Ukrainian manufacturers began in 2014, along with the first sanctions of the European Union against the Russian state. By 2019, this list of prohibited foods has almost doubled.

A rather important aspect is the fact that the ban on Ukrainian goods was gradually imposed in comparison with European goods. In the case of the EU countries, the list of prohibited products was compiled once and has not changed during the entire period of the legislation.

The first prohibited goods imported into the territory of Russia were confectionery of the Konti and AVK brands. The Rospotrebnadzor office found a violation of the basic requirements for consumer protection.
The second in line was Ukrainian alcohol, or rather vodka, cognac and beer. The ban affected such brands as:

1. Obolon.
2. "Khortytsya".
3. "Chernigovskoe".
4. Shustov.

In 2015, the following were also included in the list of prohibited goods:

1. Soya beans.
2. Sunflower.
3. Corn grits.
4. Soybean meal.

Also in 2014, a ban was imposed on Ukrainian-made juices. In the same year, baby food made on the territory of Ukraine was included in the list of prohibited goods. The main reason for the ban on these categories of goods was the inconsistency with the technical standards put forward by the Customs Union. And, as you know, the Russian Federation is a member of the Customs Union.
Canned fish, vegetables and meat in industrial packages were also banned. But in this case, the prohibition applies only to products manufactured in such canneries as:

1. Odessa.
2. Vinnytsky.
3. Nezhinsky.

Unfortunately, milk and dairy products are also prohibited items. This decision of the Russian Federation is due to the unsafe products for the human body. According to Rosselkhoznadzor employees, it is in dairy products that the use of palm fat is observed, the composition and origin of which is unknown.

You can also add potatoes grown on Ukrainian territory to the list of prohibited products.
The reason is the identification of the golden nematode, which, when it enters the human body, can cause very negative consequences. Pork was also banned in 2014. But this rule applies only to fresh, frozen or chilled meat. Heat-treated pork products are permitted in Russia.

Few people know that the imposition of bans on the import of products began in 2013 with the Roshen trademark.

Then the employees of the Rosselkhoznadzor discovered violations in the technology of manufacturing confectionery products. According to employees, this directly affected the quality of the confectionery itself.

What foods and liquids (foodstuffs) can I bring through pre-flight security in checked baggage in the United States?

If you are flying to the USA and want to bring some food from home with you, you will be surprised that customs do not allow food to be brought in!

Many people traveling to the US from all over the world want to take some comfort from home with them in the form of their favorite food, but airport security can easily confiscate those foods!

Many people want to bring food into the United States because they fear they will not be able to find their favorite foods away from home. Most often, passengers take food from home for relatives and friends they are going to visit.

What seems harmless to you may appear to US security threat!

Importing "contraband" (prohibited food and drink) may result in a fine of 10 thousand US dollars so it's definitely worth knowing what you can and cannot carry in your checked baggage.

Many tourists are not planning anything bad, they just want to take their favorite food with them, but there are very specific reasons why certain products are so strictly prohibited for import. Our article examines in detail the question of what products can be packed in REGISTERED baggage. Manual luggage governed by different rules.

Why is the food confiscated?

If your favorite fruits, vegetables and meat products are allowed in your country, the US security service is rather picky about the products allowed in their territory. They confiscate food to protect their country's agriculture.

Insect pests and plant infections common to agriculture in your country may not be common in the United States and can easily destroy crops and damage agriculture. For agricultural safety reasons, the United States prohibits the importation of certain fruits, vegetables and meat products.

Incidentally, the list of foods prohibited from importing into the United States is much longer than the list of permitted foods. Such a ban on the import of fruits and other foodstuffs may seem counterintuitive, but just one pest or one plant infection can easily spread, significantly impacting food supplies.

Even wrapped candies (such as Chinese meat candies) are confiscated. It doesn't matter what country you come to the US from and what US relationship with your country, your food will be confiscated if prohibited.

A great example is the avocado from Mexico. Although the United States imports most of its stock of avocados from Mexico, if you are a tourist and want to bring avocados from Mexico with you to the United States, the fruit will be confiscated unless you bring in a very small amount (one or two) in whole and if they are registered with luggage.

What happens to the confiscated food?

When you arrive at the check-in / customs desk, your bag will be screened. If food is found in it, it will be confiscated and placed in a basket labeled “Smuggling”, which contains all confiscated food.

When the basket is filled to the top, it is taken to the airport section with the "grinding table", where the food is laid out and sent to the hole in the middle of the table, where the garbage grinder is located, which destroys all the food. You can contemplate this process directly

Many people mistakenly believe that food is stored and eaten, or that it is not thrown away, and the security service is simply "naughty."

Food is REALLY destroyed and is REALLY considered a threat to agriculture and livestock. The United States has very high standards in accordance with USDA regulations for food import.

Many countries do not adhere to the same standards. To avoid lengthy screening procedures, some countries allow food to be imported. Those products that are not permitted are confiscated and disposed of.

In general, the list of products allowed for import into the United States is quite extensive. It includes the following products:

Bakery:

Cookies, cakes and pastries (both purchased and self-made)

Most types of cheese:

Bought and cooked by yourself

Seasonings like vegetable oil

Vinegar and other sauces - purchased or prepared yourself - unless the seasoning is shipped in sealed containers

Baby food

Baking is allowed, but only in packaging. Many types of cheese are allowed if they are carefully packed. Many spices are allowed in their original containers. Meat products, vegetables and fruits are almost never allowed unless they have been prepared in some way. Ultimately, it is up to the security service to decide whether your food will be admitted or not.

Of course, most of the products purchased ready-made and sealed in their original packaging will be cleared by customs, but there are also cases of refusal.

Another decisive factor that determines whether a food or drink is considered hazardous or safe is quantity. If you only have a few packs of snacks in your checked baggage, they may pass without too much trouble (as long as you say so). 25 food bags can cause surprise and security failure.

Liquids (drinks)

T In fact, the list of beverages allowed for import is rather small.

You can check on the website the types of liquids that you can carry in your checked baggage. These include:

Alcoholic drinks, if only the bottle is sealed and if the strength of the drink is below the specified level

Sauces, jams and jellies

Soups and yoghurts

Most often, baby food is allowed for import, as well as medicines in liquid form, if only the containers with them are labeled and sealed.

New "unopened" containers are more likely to pass through customs than bottles and containers that are only partially filled or not labeled with detailed contents. Security will look more favorably at liquids if the container is sealed. Unsealed containers are more likely to be confiscated.

According to US Customs website data

Many cooked foods, unless they are open and commercially labeled, are allowed to be imported (with the exception of meat and meat products). You can bring pastries and many types of cheeses to the United States. As a rule, condiments, vinegar, vegetable oil, packaged spices, honey, coffee, fish, tea and baby food are allowed for import. Because rice can often contain harmful insects, US security does not allow it to enter their country, especially if rice is imported in open sacks. Food in packages that may appear to security personnel to be insufficiently safe or contaminated may be prohibited from entry.

- help.cbp.gov

You can have a look at the list of fruits and vegetables under Animal and Plant Health Services ( APHIS ) to find out which fruits and vegetables you can bring into the United States from ,but here's a hint: there is no guarantee that you will be allowed to bring any fruits, vegetables or meat products into the United States!

In addition, US Customs and Border Protection recalls:

All agricultural products must be declared and inspected by an agricultural specialist from the US Customs and Border Protection at state border checkpoints to ensure that imported products are free of pests or infections. Products prohibited or restricted from entry may include meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds, soil, and products made from animal or plant materials.

- www.cbp.gov

Your best bet

If you REALLY need to bring certain food items to the United States, you should make sure that they are approved for import before packing them, otherwise it will only be a waste of time and money.

Quite frankly, there are tons of shops in the US that offer a wide variety of ethnic food, and there you can easily find something that will remind you of your homeland. You can also avoid anxiety and stress if you just leave all your food at home and just enjoy the ride.

Members of the Public Chamber (OP) of the Russian Federation applied to the Federal Customs Service (FCS) of the Russian Federation with a request to initiate a criminal case on the fact of smuggling sanctioned products into the territory of Russia (the appeal is at the disposal of Izvestia). According to Pavel Sychev, member of the Public Control Commission of the RF OP, prohibited dairy products from Europe, in particular Lithuanian milk cereals, French and German yoghurts, are still sold in Perekrestok and Zeleny Perekrestok stores, as well as a number of small local retailers.

Also, a member of the RF OP informed the head of the RF Prosecutor General's Office Yuri Chaika about his request to the RF FCS and asked to take personal control of the situation (the appeal is also at the disposal of Izvestia). The department said that the appeal of the OP RF will be considered in the prescribed manner and within the established time frame.

As Pavel Sychev said, during the inspections of the RF OP it turned out that the products prohibited for import remain on store shelves.

They are all packed after August 7, 2014. These are products offered in stores such as, for example, Perekrestok, Zeleny Perekrestok, Pyaterochka. Moreover, we find the sanction even in small shops on the first floors of apartment buildings, says Sychev. - How it gets on the shelves is still unclear. We need to find those responsible for the smuggling.

According to Sychev, among the sanctioned products sold in Russian stores in January were Lithuanian milk porridges, French and German yoghurts, as well as Spanish olives and jamon.

Barcodes on these products indicate that they were produced and packaged in Europe after the entry into force of retaliatory sanctions from our country, - said Sychev. - That is, the products could not get on the shelves of stores in a legal way. And both customs officers and suppliers may be to blame. Corruption cannot be ruled out.

Head of the public relations department of X5 Retail Group (chain stores Perekrestok, Pyaterochka, Karusel) Vladimir Rusanov, in turn, denied the presence of sanctioned products on the shelves.

We are closely following this: we do not have any prohibited products, says Rusanov. - As for milk cereals and canned olives, they are generally not included in the sanctions list approved by the Russian government.

According to the decree of the government of the Russian Federation of August 7, 2014, agricultural products, raw materials and foodstuffs, the countries of origin of which are the USA, the countries of the European Union, Canada, Australia and Norway, are prohibited from being imported into Russia for 1 year. In particular, “meat of cattle, fresh or chilled” (also frozen), “fresh, chilled or frozen pork”, the same for poultry is prohibited for import; “Salted meat, in brine, dried or smoked”; "Fish and crustaceans, other aquatic invertebrates molluscs", "milk and dairy products", "vegetables, edible roots and tubers", "fruits and nuts", "sausages and similar products from meat, meat offal or blood", "prepared food products based on them ”,“ ready-made products, including cheese and cottage cheese based on vegetable fats ”and“ milk products based on vegetable fats ”.

Subsequently, some of the commodity items were excluded from the final list due to the lack of opportunities for import substitution or substitution with supplies from other countries. Including the "sanction gate" was opened for: fry of salmon, seed potatoes, lactose-free milk and its derivatives (including some cheeses), concentrates of animal and plant proteins (for example, sports nutrition), dietary supplements, mineral, vitamin and other additives ...

Note that all goods are classified using the commodity nomenclature of foreign economic activity of the Customs Union (TN VED), which can be used to determine whether products are allowed for import. All embargoed products also carry these codes.

As the press service of the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation explained, European jamon is indeed prohibited from being imported into Russia, in contrast to olives and milk cereals, the ban on which is partial.

Jamon falls under the category of products that have come under the embargo, possessing TN VED 0210 ("salted meat, in brine, dried or smoked" - "Izvestia"), the department said. - Olives cannot be imported if they are preserved for short-term storage (TN VED 0711) and in this form are unsuitable for human consumption. If they are mothballed for long-term storage, then their import into Russia is free. Milk porridges can be either approved for import or not - everything will depend on their composition. If they are lactose-free, then they can be imported, but if they contain lactose, then no. The same goes for yoghurts.

At the same time, the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation said that the consideration of issues on the initiation of criminal cases was not commented on.

Despite the August ban, during inspections of popular retail chains, representatives of the RF OP continued to find sanctioned goods on the shelves. For example, in the fall of 2014, French shellfish, Norwegian salmon, as well as fermented milk products from Germany, Latvia, France, Italy and Poland were found in the Seventh Continent, Azbuka Vkusa and Green Crossroads stores. In December 2014, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation confirmed the fact of the sale of products prohibited from import from Europe, packaged after the entry into force of retaliatory sanctions from Russia (August 7, 2014).

As Izvestia reported earlier, after establishing the facts of smuggling, the General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation appealed to the Central Customs Department of the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation with an order to monitor "compliance with the ban on the import of food."

In mid-December, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, met with representatives of Russian retail chains. The subject of discussion was the facts of detection of food products prohibited for import in retail. The networks explained how such goods could have ended up on store shelves, and assured the head of the sanitary service that they would follow up to prevent the sale of products that are under the embargo. In Rospotrebnadzor, however, inspections continue both in chain and non-chain stores, as well as at markets and fairs to identify products prohibited for sale from Europe, the USA and Canada.

As explained in Rospotrebnadzor, the accompanying documents are checked first of all, from which it is possible to understand when the product was imported into the territory of the Russian Federation. The department does not exclude that there may still be prohibited food products with a long shelf life on sale, which were imported before August 2014.

Let me remind you that the country of origin is the state in whose territory the goods were completely produced or underwent sufficient processing / processing, which does not include the slaughter and dressing of animals, bottling, washing, repackaging, storage and transportation of goods, - explains the managing partner of the agro-industrial complex practice, deputy general director of Consulting group "NEO Center" Anastasia Zalutskaya.

Andrey Kuzmin, a leading lawyer at the Yurlov & Partners law firm, said that customs officers, if they allowed the import of prohibited products, can be involved under Article 293 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Negligence”).

In this case, a fine from an individual is provided in the amount of up to 120 thousand rubles or in the amount of wages or arrest for up to three months. Most likely, government officials, if they are found guilty, will be held under this article, Kuzmin believes. - It is difficult to say whether this will be a case of corruption. Probably not, because in this case the guilty ones would have already been found.

Attracting suppliers, according to Kuzmin, will not be easy.

Even if a retail chain names its supplier and provides an agreement, he can say that the goods were purchased before the retaliatory sanctions took effect, or the raw materials were not produced in Europe, the lawyer is sure. - Those who allowed the import of sanctioned products will surely be under close scrutiny.

The lawyer also stressed that today there is no separate general article for smuggling.

The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation contains several articles for the illegal import of cash, monetary instruments, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, etc. The import of sanctioned products falls under the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (Article 16.3), that is, only a fine is provided for suppliers (for the fact of movement of goods). For citizens it ranges from 1.5-2.5 thousand rubles, for officials - 10-20 thousand rubles, for legal entities - 100-300 thousand rubles, - said Kuzmin. - Logistics companies are unlikely to be at fault, since they are not obliged to find out the origin of the products.