The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of Moldova announced that internal discussions have identified no risks related to potential Ukrainian restrictions on Moldovan wine exports. Agriculture Minister Ludmila Catlabuga made the clarification after public speculation followed the ban imposed by the National Food Safety Agency of Moldova (ANSA) on poultry meat imports from Ukraine, IPN reports.
The minister explained that authorities suspended poultry imports solely to protect consumer health after inspections detected prohibited substances.
“Consumer protection is our number one priority. ANSA inspections identified prohibited substances that are not allowed in food products. In relation to the Ukrainian side, we are maintaining the necessary diplomatic dialogue within our bilateral agreement. We have only requested guarantees that everything certified by the Ukrainian side is safe for our consumers,” Ludmila Catlabuga said during the program “Pe Fata” on the public television channel.
Addressing reports about possible restrictions on Moldovan wine exports to Ukraine, the minister said authorities have not identified any concrete risks so far.
“We discussed the possibility of restrictions on our products internally, and no such risks were highlighted. We are waiting for official information from the Ukrainian side. We do not want to lose the opportunity to continue exporting, but we expect understanding and quality guarantees for our consumers,” she added.
On January 26, Moldova introduced a temporary suspension of poultry meat and feed imports from Ukraine after tests detected metronidazole in feed intended for poultry.