Russia May Ban U.S. Poultry Imports after Egg Salmonella Outbreak
According to the Russian International News Agency (RIA Novosti), the Russian Chief Sanitary Inspector for Russia announced that it may ban U.S. poultry imports after half a billion U.S. eggs were recently recalled amid a salmonella outbreak.
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(U.S. egg producers recently recalled 550 million eggs after reports of salmonella poisoning in several states.)
Russian Official Says Outbreak Justified Earlier Sanctions on Poultry Imports
The Chief said the outbreak justified the sanctions Russia earlier imposed on chlorine-treated poultry imports from the U.S. and called on the U.S. government to provide more information. Russia asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to submit a list of the farms that announced product recalls.
(Russia banned imports of U.S. chlorine-treated poultry on January 1, 2010 citing its new sanitary standards. A negotiating process between Russia and the U.S. began and in June 2010, Russian President Medvedev and U.S. President Obama agreed to lift the ban, but imports did not resume because of the high concentration of chloride in U.S. meat.
RIA Novosti reports that the ban has since been lifted on poultry imports from 72 U.S. companies, but retained on a remaining 15 companies that do not meet the country's safety requirements.)
U.S. Poultry/Egg Association Guarantees Safety of Poultry Exports to Russia
The U.S. Poultry and Egg Council (USAPEEC) has given assurance that all poultry meat products exported to Russia contain no salmonella bacteria, the council said in a recent statement.
The USAPEEC President noted that the production of chickens and eggs are two separate arms of the U.S. poultry industry, which are overseen by two separate federal agencies, furthermore making any risk of cross-contamination highly improbable. The U.S. has not exported eggs to Russia since the end of 1999.
(See ITT’s Online Archives or 08/20/10 news, 10082012, for BP summary of RIA Novosti reporting that Russia was partially lifting its ban on U.S. poultry imports.
See ITT’s Online Archives or 08/06/10 news, 10080637, for BP summary of USDA discussing Russia placing an extra requirement on U.S. poultry exported to Russia, outside of the agreement.
See ITT's Online Archives or 08/06/10 news, 10080612, for BP summary of USTR Kirk discussing the U.S.-Russia poultry agreement, etc.)