Report tackles Russian ractopamine ban

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

by SUSAN MANN

Russia’s demand for ractopamine-free meat from Canada, the United States and other suppliers doesn’t comply with international trade practices, according to a George Morris Centre report released Wednesday.

In addition, the Russian request has no merit according to the United Nation’s Codex Alimentarius Commission, which has approved a maximum residue limit for ractopamine and has set acceptable daily intake standards, senior market analyst Kevin Grier says in the report. It was commissioned by Elanco Canada, makers of Paylean, the company’s brand name for ractopamine.

The Codex commission is the United Nations’ food safety and quality standards setting body.

Russia’s practice of using non-tariff barriers and penalties on trading partners is common and widely known, Grier says, noting they use the barriers to protect their market for domestic suppliers and because they want to become self-sufficient in livestock and poultry production.

For Canadian processors that export to Russia, “this is not a case of meeting customer requests; it is a case of complying with unreasonable and costly demands,” he notes.

Russian officials told Canada on Dec. 7, 2012 they wanted their meat imports to come from animals that weren’t fed ractopamine. The feed additive is approved for use in Canada for finishing barrows and gilts as well as beef and turkey. It promotes leanness in animals raised for meat. It’s approved in 26 countries, including the United States.

Gary Stordy, Canadian Pork Council public relations manager, says “we are aware processors are meeting the Russian market requirements. They are conducting tests and will continue to do so.”

The council is working with groups, such as the Canadian Meat Council; the pork industry’s market development agency Canada Pork International; and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to understand the Russian market requirements and “explain the process we undertake as producers as well as processors.” The groups are also working to find an alternative system “for an efficient way to meet this Russian market requirement.”

Earlier this month, the Russians announced temporary trade restrictions against U.S. pork, beef and turkey shipments because they didn’t comply with their request for ractopamine-free meat. Although the Russians threatened they would impose a similar restriction on Canada’s pork and beef shipments, they haven’t yet instated it. Earlier this month a CFIA spokesperson said Canada continues to export beef and pork products that meet the Russian requirements.

Russia is the third largest export market for Canadian pork but it represents just eight per cent of total Canadian production, Grier says. BF