New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS): The government said Friday it had appealed against a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling that its ban on the import of poultry products from the US due to an outbreak of avian influenza was inconsistent with the WTO Agreement.

Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply that the government had had moved the WTO appellate body against the ruling.

"India has a system in place for import of poultry products through sanitary import permits (SIP)," Sitharaman said.

"SIPs are granted for import of poultry products only after detailed risk analysis from the angle of human and animal safety," the minister said in her reply.

The minister said that import of poultry products are allowed from the country which are free from highly pathogenic and low pathogenic avian influenza.

"Moreover, at present, the customs duty on chicken legs has been retained at India’s bound rate of duty, which is the maximum permissible level of duty committed to the WTO," the minister added.