Ractapamine prompts pork import ban by Russia
The feed additive ractopamine, which is banned in Russia, has been found by the country’s food safety watchdog, Rosselhaznadzor, in pork imports from the United States, Canada and Brazil, prompting Russia to ban imports from one US company and two Canadian companies.
The long-running international dispute over ractopamine, a drug used to boost growth and leanness in pork and beef production, has become even more contentious in recent weeks. Products from Brazilian companies have been put under increased monitoring.
The Federal Veterinary and Phyto-Sanitary Oversight Service said ractopamine was found in pork imported from US company John Morrell, and Canadian companies Aliments Asta Inc. and Quality Meat Packers Ltd.
In addition, due to a first violation, an enhanced laboratory testing regime has been imposed on products from Maple Leaf Foods Inc. Les Aliments Maple Leaf Inc., Great Lakes Specialty Meats of Canada Inc, Atrahan Transformation Inc. and Fearmans Pork Inc. If further violations are found in the future, the watchdog warned it will be forced to impose temporary restrictions on product imports of products from these companies.
Such a measure could also be imposed against the products from Brazil’s Seara Alimentos and Sadia SA, in which ractopamine was also found. For the time being, products are under lab monitoring.
Russian experts do not doubt that this is only the first restrictions that will occur against pork producers using the ractopamine additive. According to Russian vets the foreign producers that previously were growing animals with the help of this drug simply could not immediately change the production process according to the new Russian requirements.
Join 26,000+ subscribers
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about all the need-to-know content in the feed sector, three times a week.
