After Russia’s January 1, 2010, ban on imports of chicken from countries using chlorine in commercial poultry production, the market is gradually reopening. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is acting as an intermediate regulatory agency to help US companies regain their rights to sell into Russian markets.
Under Russia’s new requirements, US commercial poultry production companies are allowed to replace chlorine with cetylpyridinium chloride, peroxyacetic acid, or hydrogen peroxide.
Approximately 50 commercial poultry production plants in the US have changed over and resumed exports to Russia, most of them larger players in the industry.
Russia’s ban was purportedly based on a decision to adhere to established European food safety standards. The safety of chlorine as a food disinfectant is still a subject of debate in the US.
Our question at AWPI is, “How safe are any of these disinfectants, compared to ozone, which leaves no measurable residues on foods, kills bacteria up to 3,000 times faster than chlorine, and has the added benefit of removing many pollutants from waste water?”
Still, we cheer the resumption of trade with this important market for US commercial poultry production facilities.
Read the latest news on the Russian poultry ban at meatpoultry.com.