MOSCOW - Russia's food safety watchdog has found the feed additive ractopamine, which is banned in Russia, in meat products imported from the United States, Canada and Brazil, and has decided to ban imports from one U.S. and two Canadian companies.
Products from the Brazilian company have been put under enhanced monitoring.
The Federal Veterinary and Phyto-Sanitary Oversight Service said
ractopamine was found in pork imported from U.S. company John Morrell,
and Canadian companies Aliments Asta Inc. and Quality Meat Packers Ltd.
In addition, due to a first found violation, an enhanced laboratory
testing regime has been imposed on products from Maple Leaf Foods Inc. /
Les Aliments Maple Leaf Inc., Great Lakes Specialty Meats of Canada
Inc, Atrahan Transformation Inc. and Fearmans Pork Inc. If further
violations are found in future, the watchdog warned it will be forced to
impose temporary restrictions on imports of products from these
companies into Russia.
Such a measure could also be imposed against the products of Brazil’s
Seara Alimentos and Sadia S.A., in which ractopamine was also found.
For the time being, they have been put under enhanced lab monitoring.
