Bulldozers on combat-ready alert: Russia introduces 'incinerate on site' law for banned EU food
Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, launched an operation against Italian parmesan, French oysters and Polish apples. Today the ‘incinerate on site’ law for banned EU food products has come into effect.
The food products that practically disappeared from stores due to a year of economic warfare, are to be destroyed by ‘all means available’: the blacklisted goods will be pressed, burnt, buried and poured away. These measures will be taken not only on the border but in entire Russia, including in shops and warehouses.
Benefit to nobody
it is forbidden to ‘destroy’ sanctioned food products by eating. Now Rosselkhoznadzor is developing an order, according to which Russian officials may face opening a criminal article for consumption of such goods.
The first batches of meat and dairy products will be destroyed in Orenburg and St. Petersburg. However, Rosselkhoznadzor has already reported the unwillingness of customs officers to get rid of food from abroad.
During the last few days few days thousands of Russians protested against the destruction of sanctioned products. Outraged citizens are trying to draw Vladimir Putin’s attention saying that countersanctions have only resulted in an increase in food prices. Instead of destroying unwanted food they offered to send it to war-torn Donbas or distribute among the poor and refugees from Ukraine.
