MOSCOW REJECTS US MEATS: POLITICS OR GENUINE REFUSAL?

MOSCOW REJECTS US MEATS: POLITICS OR GENUINE REFUSAL?

courtesy: sniderbrosmeat

In a move that seems designed to put additional distance between the two countries, Russia has banned all imports on US beef.

Russia has halted importation of all US meat on the contention that the beef contains a feed addictive called ractopamine.  

The ban deals a huge blow to the meat sector.  Exports to Russia total 500 million a year.  

However, Russia has been talking about the coming ban for weeks.  The additive is already banned in the European community, but the US considers it safe. 

Many see the move as merely political, and the timing of course has been questioned. 

But does Russia truly have a concern in regards to the additive?  

Let's examine for a second what ractopamine is:  the additive is a compound that mimics stress hormones and  is used in 80% of all pig farming to promote leanness in meat, and to diminish the amount of fat, ammonia and volume in farm slurry.  However the compound is causing a higher mortality of pigs and the compound is found to leave traces in comestible meat.  In fact a ban on the use of pigs that were unable to walk before slaughter was promoted to avoid consumption of the affected pigs, but the ban was voided by the Supreme Court.    

The Russian government has indicated that the ban will be long lasting.

Although the ban is still a clear reflection of deteriorating US-Russia relationships, following US sanctions against Russia incited by the country's human right violations, the fact that the European Union has already banned the meat in the past poses some interesting questions.

Adapted from an article on Al Jazeera.

Source: Al Jazeera 2.12.13