Rosselhoznadzor said imports from Hill’s pet food were restricted after routine inspections revealed questionable quality of the products delivered. The regulator said that in an effort to lower production costs, the manufacturer replaced some raw materials of animal origin with alternatives of plant origin.
Moreover, customers complained about the discovery of worms in purchased pet food, Rosselhoznadzor said.
Restrictions against Farmina were introduced after the repeated detection of arsenic in imported batches of the product, the agency reported.
Puts pressure on the pharmaceutical pet food sector
The restrictions will be painful for the medicated pet food segment of the Russian market, Vladimir Urazhevsky, president of the Union of Cynological Associations of Russia, told a local news outlet NSN.
“This brand is famous and famous all over the world. Hill’s food is often used not only to feed animals but also to treat various health issues, for example, those related to the gastrointestinal tract. It served basis for more than 40 treatment diets,” says Urazhevsky.
It’s a shame the pet food will disappear. I hope this is not about politics. It would not be beneficial to remove it from the market completely
Vladimir Urazevsky, president of the Union of Cynological Associations of Russia
Imports of pet food are shrinking
Over the past few years, the share of imported pet food in the Russian market has dropped from 15% – 20% to 10%, Kirill Dmitriev, president of the Russian National Association of Zoo Industry, told state news outlet Tass.
Hill’s and Farmina occupy a relatively small niche in the Russian market, and their loss will not be critical, Dmitriev said.
Sweeping restrictions are imposed
Rosselhoznadzor has imposed sweeping restrictions against imported pet food, citing concerns over GMOs and fraud. The agency has regularly complained that Western pet food manufacturers have substituted some raw materials, not showing this on production labels.
It is wrong to say that imports from Western countries have completely stopped, Dmitriev said, adding that supplies are still flowing from some factories in Belgium, France, Italy and Serbia. Moreover, imports from politically friendly countries began to increase, Dmitriev revealed.
Russia imports livestock from Turkey, China, Southeast Asian countries, Brazil and Argentina, Dmitriev said, without giving concrete numbers. However, imports from alternative destinations have not yet fully compensated for the lack of popular brands that are no longer in Russia, he added.
