When it comes to cheese, the people of Russia go to great lengths to get their fix these days. From the flourishing online black market to underground cheese dealers working from back rooms in corner stores, Russians are scrambling to get their hands on the tasty contraband. Though their methods may seem extreme, a recent report shows that black market shoppers have good reason. Up to 50 percent of dairy products on the nation’s store shelves are fake, according to Russia’s agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor.

The report surfaces at the tail end of Russia’s yearlong (and recently extended) ban on many imported foods. Western sanctions against Russia, imposed over its role in the Ukraine crisis,