Russia imposes restrictions on US turkey meat
Russia is to impose restrictions on the import of US turkey products over concerns about the controversial animal drug ractopamine, the country’s Veterinary and Phyto-Sanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) announced.
The restrictions will come into force on the 11th of February and refer to turkey meat as well as to turkey meat finished products.
The US Food and Drug Administration approved ractopamine as safe— for boosting growth and leanness in pigs in the weeks leading up to slaughter—in 1999 and has since approved the drug for use in cattle and turkeys. More than two dozen other countries, including Canada and Brazil have given the feed additive the green light, but the substance remains prohibited in China, the European Union, and many other countries.
US officials said they had no reason to believe that US chicken exports to Russia were at risk of being halted because of Moscow’s concern about ractopamine. However, a USDA spokesperson said the department is “extremely concerned” with Russia’s recent actions, which jeopardise more than $500 million in US meat exports.
