December 10, 2009

It's the antibiotics, blasts Russia

Excessive antibiotic levels was the main reason for the Russian watchdog to ban pork imports from seven US pork plants, including the world's largest.

Russia's latest crackdown on meat imports bans deliveries from five US plants from December 15 and another two from December 7. Five of which from Smithfield Foods Inc., including the Tar Heel, North Carolina plant that ranks as the world's biggest.

The US Agriculture Department (USDA) said on Tuesday Russia had banned pork imports from five plants from December 15. The Russian watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, said in a statement issued on Wednesday seven US plants in all were affected.

They include two Farmland Foods and two John Morrell plants, both of which are Smithfield brands, as well as a Tyson Foods Inc. plant in Madison, Nebraska and the Sioux-Preme Packing Co in Sioux Centre, Iowa.

Rosselkhoznadzor said the antibiotic oxitetracycline had been found in meat produced at all these plants. In addition, salmonella was found in pork produced at one of the two Farmland Foods plants, the watchdog said.

Imports are banned from 21 US pork plants of 162 initially approved to ship products to Russia, Rosselkhoznadzor said. Fourteen of 245 poultry plants are subject to similar bans.

Russia has also banned pork imports from December 7 from one plant in Brazil and another in Ukraine.