Russia opens doors to Egyptian vegan cheeses

Russia’s agriculture safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor and ports authorities of Saint Petersburg and Novorossiysk have approved the entry of Egyptian vegan cheeses, an Egyptian official announced on Thursday.

The Russian authorities have also approved the inclusion of the Egyptian vegan cheese exporters’ customs codes under the Eurasian Economic Union’s (EAEU) new decree no. TN VED code 1901, said Nasser Hamed, head of Egyptian commercial representation office in Moscow.

Egypt can now export around 4,500 tonnes of vegan cheese, estimated at $4.5 million, to the Russian market, Hamed told Amwal Al Ghad.

“These quantities could be increased in the light of the production capacities of the Egyptian companies and the growth in the base of vegan cheese exporters following the quality and health standards in Russia,” Hamed said.

Vegan cheese is a non-dairy cheese mainly produced for vegans as well as for other people who avoid animal products, with those people who are lactose-intolerant.