Russia's agricultural regulator has canceled provisional restrictions on pork imports from Ireland, imposed in late 2008 following a contamination risk warning by Irish authorities.

Ireland's veterinary authorities announced in December 2008 they were pulling pork from shelves after the discovery of cancer-inducing chemicals in Irish pork. The European Union then admitted that Russia may be among the countries that imported Irish pork contaminated with toxic dioxins.

Rosselkhoznadzor said pork imports from Ireland to Russia would resume on February 1, as Ireland has provided guarantees of the safety of its pork.

By the time the contamination risk warning was issued, Irish pork had been imported to 12 EU member states, Belgium, Britain, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Sweden, as well as to nine non-EU members, Russia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, and the United States.

MOSCOW, February 1 (RIA Novosti)