Russia's food safety watchdog has destroyed 7,282 metric tons (MT) worth of banned foodstuffs under its countersanctions since the August 6, 2015, TASS reported. 

The world's largest country has prohibited imports of a wide range of foods - including fresh produce - from the EU, Norway, the U.S., Canada, Australia and a string of European countries since August, 2014 in response to the Ukraine situation.

Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) spokeswoman Yulia Melano told the publication more than 2,700 metric tons (MT) were destroyed in the Bryansk and Smolensk regions near the border with Belarus.

Almost 1,900MT were destroyed in the oblasts of Tver and the Pskov, while other regions that registered high banned import destruction rates included Rostov, Volgograd and Kalmykia, the story reported.

The leading products were apples, pears, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, strawberries, oranges, nectarines and grapes, the story reported.

Of the total amount, 228,642MT was of animal origin, the story reported.

In other developments, last week Rosselkhoznadzor placed import restrictions on the import of regulated foods from Bosnia & Herzegovina, pending inspections of the country's facilities and production areas in order to compare with import volumes.

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