The Russian authority Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) reached a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ukrainian government that included phased reintroduction of Roshen products into Russia.
This came with the proviso that every batch was tested by, “accredited laboratories”.
Why was Roshen ousted?
Russia banned imports from Roshen in July this year due to allegedly high levels of toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) Benzo[a]pyrene found in Roshen chocolate.
The ban came soon after the Ukrainian government imposed an emergency import tax on cars, making car exportation more costly for Russia.
Moldova, Tadzhikistan, Kazakhstan and Belarus conducted their own investigations, but found no health risks from Roshen chocolate.
Ukraine to restore economic relations with Russia
The Russian ban was lifted on the day the Ukrainian Prime Minister announced his country would begin negotiations with Russia to restore economic relations.
We asked Roshen for comment, but a response was not forthcoming.
The company previously told this site that Russian authorities had never visited Roshen’s factories before imposing the ban and had even failed to inform the Ukrainian company on the rationale for the ban before the news became public.
Benzo[a]pyrene
“It is not true that the chocolate contains no Benzo[a]pyrene, but it is very very minimal and not harmful at all,” said a Roshen spokesperson in August.
Benzo[a]pyrene is a byproduct of incomplete combustion or burning of organic, carbon-containing items. It can occur during cocoa roasting or when beans are smoke-dried by farmers.
The EU prohibits Benzo[a]pyrene above five micrograms per kilogram in chocolate’s fat, but Roshen said no fixed rules existed for the compound in Ukraine and Russia.
Roshen produces its products from four factories in the Ukraine (Kyiv, Vinnytsa, Kremenchuk and Mariupol).