The Russian consumer rights watchdog may ban U.S. poultry imports after half a billion U.S. eggs were recalled last week amid a salmonella outbreak, the service's chief said on Monday.

The U.S. egg producers recalled 550 million eggs last week after reports of salmonella poisoning in several states.

"In light of reports in the U.S. media of an outbreak of salmonella caused by contaminated eggs, we are assessing the situation to find out if there is a need to toughen [regulations on] poultry imports from the United States," Gennady Onishchenko said.

He said the outbreak justified the sanctions Russia earlier imposed on chlorine-treated poultry imports from the United States and called on the U.S. government to provide more information.

Russia banned imports of U.S. poultry as of January 1, citing new safety requirements. U.S. poultry has traditionally accounted for almost 80 percent of Russia's poultry imports.

The ban has since been lifted on poultry imports from 72 U.S. companies, but retained on a remaining 15 companies that do not meet the country's safety requirements.

In late June, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barrack Obama announced that Moscow and Washington had agreed to restart U.S. poultry imports to Russia.

MOSCOW, August 23 (RIA Novosti)