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Russia suspends license on pork import from USA

March 3, the US refused to receive a delegation of Rosselkhoznadzor experts in Washington

© ITAR-TASS/Anton Butsenko

MOSCOW, March 4. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s veterinary and phytosanitary watchdog (Rosselkhoznadzor) officially suspends the effect of the license on pork import from the USA, the service’s official website reports.

“After considering the guarantees of the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regarding the safety of the produce, including non-usage of beta-agonists and other productivity stimulating agents, including ractopamine, Rosselkhoznadzor deemed possible to permit import of pork into Russian from enterprises of Smithfield Packing Inc #18079 and #413,” the message says.

Meanwhile, the issue of refrigerating enterprises, through which the import would be carried out, remains unsolved. The terms of starting the supplies would be determined after obtaining additional guarantees from FSIS and adoption of a relevant resolution by Rosselkhoznadzor.

The enterprises may also start supplies March 10, 2014. “If they manage to provide us additional guarantees before that date, from this moment on we will start pork supplies from these two US-based enterprises; if not, the terms will be postponed,” representative of Rosselkhoznadzor Alexei Alexeyenko told Itar-Tass.

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