Russia adds more meat plants on ban list

Russia has banned from February 12 meat imports from several foreign plants after finding "banned and dangerous substances" in their products.

According to animal and plant health watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor, the list includes a plant owned by major US turkey producer Butterball, a unit of Smithfield Foods, in Mount Olive, North Carolina.

Salmonella was found in products of a US poultry plant located in Lumber Bridge in the same state, which is owned by Mountaire Farms.

The top poultry meat supplier, US, is currently not exporting to Russia after Moscow effectively suspended US shipments by banning poultry meat treated with excessive chlorine from January 19.

Meanwhile, Russia has banned pork products from a Brazilian plant owned by Frigorifico Mabella and from a Finnish plant belonging to Atria Suomi Oy, Rosselkhoznadzor said.

Rosselkhoznadzor said the country lifted a ban from poultry meat from Turkey that was imposed in 2005 for fear of bird flu. Turkey is considered as one of the alternative suppliers to US poultry.