Russia reopens to four major U.S. meat, exporters

Russia has reopened its border to imports of product from four major U.S. meat and poultry plants, according to an update Thursday by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Among the group are two Farmland Foods pork plants, one in Crete, Neb., and one in Monmouth, Ill. Product produced at the Crete plant prior to Jan. 5, 2011, and on or after July 10, 2012, can ship to Russia. The Monmouth plant can ship product produced there prior to Dec. 31, 2010, and on or after July 10, FSIS notes.

Also getting the go-ahead was Peco Foods Inc.’s Sebastopol, Miss., poultry plant. The facility can send product produced there prior to Sept. 15, 2011, and on or after July 10, 2012.

Meanwhile, American Foods Group’s Green Bay, Wis., beef plant has been approved to send product produced prior to Feb. 22, 2012, and on or after July 10, 2012.

“Russia consolidated their responses to a number of establishment relist requests from FSIS into a single letter back to FSIS which had a common relist date of July 10 for all of the establishments,” a government source said.