Import ban possible only now
Rosselhoznadzor stressed that the restrictions were temporary, but gave no indication of when they might be lifted. According to leading Russian pork producer Miratorg, Russia's consumption of gelatin from pigs is close to 12,000 tons per year
A few years ago, the ban would have been a pain for the Russian market. However, in December 2023, Miratorg opened a 4.4 billion ruble gelatin plant in Kursk Oblast with a capacity of 6,000 tons per year. The plant is scheduled to reach full capacity in 2025, meeting more than half of Russia's demand.
Miratorg said its plant was the only industrial plant in Russia producing pork gelatin.
Growing consumption
Over the past 15 years, Russia's demand for gelatin has increased by 150 percent, mostly met by imports. During the Soviet era, there were up to seven plants producing pork gelatin in the country, but none of them survived the transition to a market economy.
The gelatin market in Russia has been turbulent recently. Between 2018 and 2022, domestic production of all types of gelatin fell by 36%, reaching 16,000 tons. In addition, imports fell by 7.5% in 2022, a trend that analysts attributed to “geopolitical turmoil.”
Necessary alternatives to pork gelatin
The Russian food industry is not expected to experience a shortage of pork gelatin as a result of the new ban. Some plants may be forced to switch to alternatives, notably beef gelatin or agar-agar, food industry analyst Elena Solomatina said.
Restriction on gelatin import will affect the production of feed vitamins
Russian feed additive manufacturers have reportedly expressed concerns that Rosselhoznadzor’s decision could affect the availability of feed vitamins A, D3 and AD3, which are produced using gelatin from pigs. Import restrictions on pork gelatin have caused temporary disruptions to supplies of these products in the past.
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