Ukraine has restricted the import of meat products from a number of European Union countries due to the registration of African swine fever (ASF) in them, the Eastern Interregional Directorate of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection (Eastern Directorate of the State Service) reported.
According to the report, the ban applies to products from a number of zones in Latvia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, Romania, Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Italy, Estonia, Greece, and Bulgaria.
The State Consumer Service noted that Ukraine recognizes the zoning for African swine fever introduced by the European Union in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/54.
In this regard, the ban applies to the territories of the II and III zones for the import of animals belonging to the porcine, tayas and tapir family, as well as genetic material and products from them.
This refers to products obtained in the above-mentioned zones where, at the time of issuance of the certificate, no infection of domestic pigs with the ASF virus was reported within 12 months before the date of slaughter of the animals from which fresh meat was obtained. The ban also applies to meat of animals originating from farms or obtained from slaughterhouses in/around which, including the territory within a radius of 10 km, ASF was not detected within 40 days before the date of slaughter.
At the same time, the ban does not apply to products that have been processed by a method that guarantees the destruction of the causative agent of this disease in accordance with the requirements for the import (shipment) into the customs territory of Ukraine of food products of animal origin, feed, hay, straw, as well as by-products of animal origin and products of their processing, processing, approved by Order of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food No. 553 of November 16, 2018.
African swine fever (Montgomery’s disease) is a contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, first recorded in 1903 in South Africa. It cannot be treated or vaccinated. The spread of the virus can only be stopped by quarantine measures.
ASF is not dangerous for humans, but it causes economic losses, as all animals in the infected area must be destroyed.
