December 24, 2008

Russia stops pork imports from five more US plants

Russia is stopping pork imports from five more US plants, including a Hormel Foods Corp. facility in Minnesota, after meat from the processors did not pass Russian import requirements.

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said Russia, the fourth-largest importer of US pork will not accept shipments from the plants after January 1. Prior to this, Russia had stopped imports from at least 12 US pork plants this month, after routine inspections of the facilities in October.

The slaughterhouses and processors added to the list of banned pork suppliers are Hormel Foods and Quality Pork Processors, both located in Austin, Minnesota; Trim-Rite Food Corp. in Carpentersville, Illinois; L&K Packing International in Schleswig, Iowa; and Ankeny Processing Services in Ankeny, Iowa.

Plants banned this month include facilities owned by Smithfield Foods Inc., the world’s largest pork processor, and JBS SA.

Russia imported 400.1 million pounds of US pork this year through October, more than twice as much as at the same time last year, the USDA said this month.