Source:  Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 7/22/10

Only months after putting them back on its list of eligible U.S. exporters, Russia has banned imports of pork from Smithfield Foods’ Tar Heel, N.C., and Clinton, N.C., plants for yet unknown reasons.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said late Wednesday that products from the two Smithfield facilities will be ineligible for export effective Aug. 2. Certificates for exports can be signed through Aug. 1.
However, the cause of Russia’s action is still unclear, as is the status of the plants.

Courtney Heller, manager of export services for the U.S. Meat Export Federation, told Meatingplace the plants have been put on temporary restriction as opposed to having been de-listed, which ostensibly means it would be easier to reinstate them.

“USDA and USMEF are working to determine the reason so that we can work to remove the restriction,” she said.

Meanwhile, a government source told Meatingplace that USDA believes the problem resulted from a misreading of certificate provisions and is working with Russia to correct the matter.

Both Smithfield plants had been re-listed as eligible exporters to Russia in March. The two facilities had been among a slew of U.S. pork exporters banned by Russia based on what that country said were protocol violations discovered during a previous industry-wide audit.

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