MOSCOW, January 30 - RAPSI, Alyona Yegorova. An appeals court has affirmed the annulment of the antimonopoly watchdog's resolution stating that baby food procurement tenders were marred with violations in 2010, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI /rapsinews.com).

The Moscow Commercial Court has sided on September 27 with the successful bidder, the Moskva Zlatoglavaya trading house, and invalidated the antimonopoly watchdog's decision.

The Federal Antimonopoly Service acknowledged Nutricia's complaint on January 11 and agreed that baby food requirements limit the number of potential bidders. Nutricia was barred from bidding as its products did not meet customer's packing requirements.

Established over 100 years ago, Nutricia specializes in baby food. It has operated in Russia since 1994 and been a part of the international Danone food group since 2007.

The Kommersant newspaper earlier reported that in 2010 Moskva Zlatoglavaya and Wimm-Bill-Dann won an annual tender to provide free baby food to Moscow residents. The successful bidders have supplied free baby food to Muscovites since 2002.

Wimm-Bill-Dann is Russia's largest food company founded in Moscow in 1992.

Danone told RAPSI that it seeks to "secure fair competition for itself and the other bidders."