The European Union (EU) recently issued a ban on Iranian pistachio imports following the discovery that the nuts contain the poisonous aflatoxin substance. The Islamic Republic exported 110,000 tons of pistachios to the EU last Iranian year, worth $385 million.
According to the Chairman of Iran’s Union of Dried Fruit Exporters Mohammad Hassan Shams, Iranian pistachios underwent three health related tests, a procedure that was not carried out on nut imports from China or India. Shams stated that American pressure was behind the European decision to impose stricter standards on Iranian products.
However, the EU has rejected claims by Iran that their pistachios are being subject to biased political retaliations. Iran produces some 200,000 tons of pistachios each year. Carpets and pistachios are the Republic’s main non-oil export products. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
