Source:  Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 7/21/10

Tyson Foods Inc. is prepared to resume poultry exports to Russia following that country’s ban on imports of chicken treated with chlorine to combat antimicrobials, the company’s spokesman confirmed to Meatingplace.

Gary Mickelson said some Tyson plants have submitted applications to USDA inspectors to resume chicken exports to Russia, and the company has been told these plants will be eligible once they are included on USDA’s approved list, expected to be published on Friday.

“We’re ready to start producing product for our Russian customers and hope to resume shipments soon,” Mickelson said.

U.S. and Russian officials signed off on an export agreement late last week after hammering out details, including what formulations of peroxyacetic acids were mutually acceptable to use as pathogen-reduction treatments. The other two PRTs Russia will accept are hydrogen peroxide and cetylpyridinium (sold under the Cecure brand).

On Jan. 1, Russia imposed a ban on imports of poultry treated with chlorine, which effectively shut down U.S. poultry exports to that country. In late June, Moscow said it would resume importing U.S. poultry following assurances from Washington that processors would not use chlorine.

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