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U.S.-Russian poultry talks to resume on March 1

© RIA Novosti . Pavel Lisitsyn / Go to the mediabankPoultry
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A new round of talks on U.S. poultry supplies to Russia, suspended since January over new Russian safety requirements, will start on March 1, Russia's chief sanitary official said on Friday.

A new round of talks on U.S. poultry supplies to Russia, suspended since January over new Russian safety requirements, will start on March 1, Russia's chief sanitary official said on Friday.

Gennady Onishchenko said the talks would take place in Moscow. The previous round of discussions ended on January 19, and Onishchenko had said he was ready for new talks as soon as possible.

Russia banned imports of U.S. chlorine-treated poultry as of January 1, citing new sanitary requirements. The United States, which supplied 22% of poultry consumed in Russia last year, says the move will damage the U.S. poultry industry and push prices up for Russian consumers.

The new requirements, which apply to both imports and meat processed in Russia, state that the amount of chlorine in the solution used for the processing of poultry meat should not exceed the level set for drinking water, 0.3-0.5 milligrams per liter. They also state the fluid that separates when defrosting the meat should not exceed 4% of the total weight of the bird.

Chlorine has been used as the primary anti-microbial treatment in the United States for a quarter of a century.

Imports from the United States, the world's largest poultry producer and exporter, accounted for some 750,000 metric tons of poultry consumed in Russia last year. This year, as Russia seeks to boost domestic poultry production, the quota has been set at 600,000 tons.

Russian producers and consumers have long been speculating over the possible dangers of the U.S. product, citing excessive levels of hormones, antibiotics, chlorine and other chemicals.

According to a U.S. expert, the United States has its own strict poultry quality requirements that producers would be unable to meet if they agree to the Russian demands.

Another American expert said it is more important for U.S. producers to follow national regulations than Russian ones so as not to lose out in the domestic market. He added that high content of chlorine is banned in Europe as a preventive measure while its risk has not been proven.

MOSCOW, February 26 (RIA Novosti)

 

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