Russia’s food health safety group says it will lift the ban on imports of pork from the United States on March 10. National Pork Producer Council’s President Randy Spronk says it’s good news that market is re opening.
Russian officials says U.S. exporters can start sending pork into their country on the condition they don’t use ractopamine in production. That product has already been deemed safe by world health standards. Spronk says even with that restriction, it helps that market is re opening.
The Russian ban of U.S. pork was put on in February of last year and cited use of ractopamine as a reason for that action. Ractopamine is a feed additive used to promote leanness in animals raised for their meat. It is also banned in the European Union and China.