January 17, 2008

Russia approves three more US companies eligible for beef export

Russia added three US meatpacking companies to its list of eligible US exporters, according to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Wednesday.

According to FSIS, the companies approved were Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Emporia, Kansas, and two Nebraska-based Greater Omaha Packing facilities, one a slaughterhouse and one a cutting/storage plant.

It would be the first time that these plants were approved for export to Russia, FSIS spokeswoman Amanda Eamich said.

Russia was the fifth largest importer of US beef at the end of 2003, when the country stopped imports due to the discovery of the first US case of mad cow disease.

A trade agreement signed in November 2006 technically provided access for both US boneless and bone-in beef, as well as beef variety meat, according to the US Meat Export Federation.

However, it was not until a year later when US meatpackers sold beef to Russia, which was regarded as a major breakthrough by industry leaders.