Russia Warns Georgia over Mineral Water Quality

The Russian Consumer Protection Agency said on April 15 that it has revealed “a large number of falsified and low quality” Borjomi Georgian mineral water on Russian markets.

The agency said in its press release that it will continue to inspect mineral waters, but has not yet instructed the Russian Customs Service to ban imports of mineral waters from Georgia.

The Russian consumer protection agency, headed by chief Russian Sanitary Inspector Genady Onishchenko, has already banned the import of Georgian wines citing that their quality does not correspond to that indicated by their producers.

The same claim was put forth by the Russian chief sanitary inspector in respect to Borjomi mineral water, which along with wine, is among the Georgia’s most exported products.

Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli said on April 14 that if Russia bans imports of Georgian mineral waters, the decision will be purely politically-motivated, as was the case with wine imports.