The Russian consumer rights watchdog may ban U.S. poultry imports after half a billion U.S. eggs were recalled last week amid a salmonella outbreak, the service's chief said on Monday.
The U.S. egg producers recalled 550 million eggs last week after reports of salmonella poisoning in several states.
"In light of reports in the U.S. media of an outbreak of salmonella caused by contaminated eggs, we are assessing the situation to find out if there is a need to toughen [regulations on] poultry imports from the United States," Gennady Onishchenko said.
He said the outbreak justified the sanctions Russia earlier imposed on chlorine-treated poultry imports from the United States and called on the U.S. government to provide more information.
Russia banned imports of U.S. poultry as of January 1, citing new safety requirements. U.S. poultry has traditionally accounted for almost 80 percent of Russia's poultry imports. RIA Novosti
