News
22.04.2010
Russia to continue, decrease limits of U.S. poultry imports
Russian media outlets are reporting that the country failed to come to agreements with the United States on sanitary requirements of poultry, making it likely the country will further reduce imports of U.S. chicken.
Despite reports earlier this month that the U.S. agreed to stop using chlorine in chicken exported to Russia, imports could be further reduced, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at his annual address to the lower house of the Russian parliament.
"Three or four years ago Russia imported 1.3 million tons of poultry from the United States alone. In 2010 the quota is 600,000 tons; it should be further reduced because chlorine requirements have not been met," Putin said, according to Ria Novosti.
Russian officials banned U.S. poultry in January because of its treatment with chlorine, which is against Russia’s food safety standards. Other countries that use a chlorine wash on poultry were also banned. The chlorine wash, which Washington says is safe, is often used in processing as an effort to kill off foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella and Campylobacter.
The U.S. says banning chlorine in chicken would damage the national poultry industry and increase prices of imported chicken in Russia.
Twenty-two percent of poultry consumed in Russia in 2009 was from the United States. This year, Russia has set a quota on poultry imports to boost domestic poultry production
Ria Novosti
