European Union
European Union
EU Accepts FSIS Proposal on Residue Testing for Beef and Pork
A letter dated February 7, 2005 from the European Commission to the USDA accepted the U.S. National Residue Program (NRP) for testing hogs and cattle after the Food Safety And Inspection Service (FSIS) proposed changes. This means that any compound tested under the NRP will not be tested again for export to the EU and any compound tested under the NRP in the species being exported to the EU will not be tested in the Additional Program, provided the FSIS laboratory demonstrates the analytical competency.
Compounds not identified in this summary will be tested at limits established by U.S. laws and regulations. As in the current situation, when compounds are included in the NRP, they will be removed from the Additional Program. In addition, if a compound is cycled out of the NRP, because it has been determined to not be of public health concern in the United States, it will not be included in the Additional Program.
The EU Additional Residue Testing Program will include
- Compounds prohibited by the EU (e.g., Group A compounds) identified in the annual planning of the NRP to be of relatively high public health concern, but that are not analyzed for in FSIS laboratories.
- Growth promoting compounds approved for use in the United States but are banned by the European Union, including zeranol, trenbolone acetate, and melengestrol acetate (MGA) in cattle and ractopamine in swine.
- Compounds sampled under the EU Additional Program and designated of low regulatory concern by the U.S. interagency committee would have a maximum of 90 animals sampled. Recognizing the enhanced production controls for animals produced under the NHTC or PFEU program, these compounds would also be considered as low regulatory concern. This level would be achieved when 22,500 head of cattle are slaughtered for EU production. Compounds identified of moderate regulatory concern would have a maximum of 230 animals sampled per year. As an example, this maximum level of sampling would be achieved when 460,000 head of swine are slaughtered for EU production.
The practical result of this is also that in the 2005 NRP, the FSIS will stop testing for the following compounds:
Porcine:
• DES/Hexestrol/dienstrol
• Thyreostats
• Zeranol/taleranol
• Chloramphenicol
• 19 nortestosterone
• Trenbolone
Beef:
• Thyreostats
• 19 nortestosterone
• Clenbuterol/cimetrol/salbutamaol
• Chloramphenicol
• Lead/cadmium
Table 1 EU Residue Sampling Frequency for Red Meat in the FSIS Export Library of Requirements has been updated.
Russia
Russia Lifts Ban On Imports From Six Brazilian States
On March 2, Russia lifted its ban on beef and pork imports from six Brazilian states, which have been declared free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Brazil can resume meat exports to Russian processors from approved plants and cold storage facilities in Rio-Grande do Sul, Parana, Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso de Sul, Goias and Minas Gerais.
It is unclear whether these exports must be from animals slaughtered after the lifting of the ban.
The six states and the state of Catarina, which is already allowed to export to Russia, are the main exporters of pork and beef to Russia, providing all the beef and 80 percent of the pork imported to Russia before the ban, according to the Brazilian Pork Meat Industry and Exporter Association. Russia’s Institute of Agrarian Marketing and importers predict that Russia’s meat prices will fall by 10 percent.
European Union
EU Accepts FSIS Proposal on Residue Testing for Beef and Pork
A letter dated February 7, 2005 from the European Commission to the USDA accepted the U.S. National Residue Program (NRP) for testing hogs and cattle after the Food Safety And Inspection Service (FSIS) proposed changes. This means that any compound tested under the NRP will not be tested again for export to the EU and any compound tested under the NRP in the species being exported to the EU will not be tested in the Additional Program, provided the FSIS laboratory demonstrates the analytical competency.
Compounds not identified in this summary will be tested at limits established by U.S. laws and regulations. As in the current situation, when compounds are included in the NRP, they will be removed from the Additional Program. In addition, if a compound is cycled out of the NRP, because it has been determined to not be of public health concern in the United States, it will not be included in the Additional Program.
The EU Additional Residue Testing Program will include
- Compounds prohibited by the EU (e.g., Group A compounds) identified in the annual planning of the NRP to be of relatively high public health concern, but that are not analyzed for in FSIS laboratories.
- Growth promoting compounds approved for use in the United States but are banned by the European Union, including zeranol, trenbolone acetate, and melengestrol acetate (MGA) in cattle and ractopamine in swine.
- Compounds sampled under the EU Additional Program and designated of low regulatory concern by the U.S. interagency committee would have a maximum of 90 animals sampled. Recognizing the enhanced production controls for animals produced under the NHTC or PFEU program, these compounds would also be considered as low regulatory concern. This level would be achieved when 22,500 head of cattle are slaughtered for EU production. Compounds identified of moderate regulatory concern would have a maximum of 230 animals sampled per year. As an example, this maximum level of sampling would be achieved when 460,000 head of swine are slaughtered for EU production.
The practical result of this is also that in the 2005 NRP, the FSIS will stop testing for the following compounds:
Porcine:
• DES/Hexestrol/dienstrol
• Thyreostats
• Zeranol/taleranol
• Chloramphenicol
• 19 nortestosterone
• Trenbolone
Beef:
• Thyreostats
• 19 nortestosterone
• Clenbuterol/cimetrol/salbutamaol
• Chloramphenicol
• Lead/cadmium
Table 1 EU Residue Sampling Frequency for Red Meat in the FSIS Export Library of Requirements has been updated.
Russia
Russia Lifts Ban On Imports From Six Brazilian States
On March 2, Russia lifted its ban on beef and pork imports from six Brazilian states, which have been declared free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Brazil can resume meat exports to Russian processors from approved plants and cold storage facilities in Rio-Grande do Sul, Parana, Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso de Sul, Goias and Minas Gerais.
It is unclear whether these exports must be from animals slaughtered after the lifting of the ban.
The six states and the state of Catarina, which is already allowed to export to Russia, are the main exporters of pork and beef to Russia, providing all the beef and 80 percent of the pork imported to Russia before the ban, according to the Brazilian Pork Meat Industry and Exporter Association. Russia’s Institute of Agrarian Marketing and importers predict that Russia’s meat prices will fall by 10 percent.