U.S. POULTRY FACILITIES PUT ON NOTICE

UNCLAS MOSCOW 000187

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

USDA FAS FOR OCRA/KUYPERS; OSTA/HAMILTON, BEAN;
ONA/TING, SALLYARDS
PASS FSIS/HARRIES, DUTROW
PASS APHIS MITCHELL
STATE FOR EUR/RUS
STATE PASS USTR FOR CHATTIN
BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ
VIENNA PASS APHIS/TANAKA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON WTO RS
SUBJECT: U.S. POULTRY FACILITIES PUT ON NOTICE
REGARDING CHLORINE

REF: A) HANSEN/DUTROW EMAIL 01/26/09, B) 08
MOSCOW 1826, C) 08 MOSCOW 1947

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Russian Federal Veterinary
and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS)
demanded via official letter a list of U.S.
poultry facilities that do not use chlorinated
anti-microbial washes in poultry production by
September 2009. According to the letter a
resolution banning the use of chlorine will take
effect January 1, 2010. Virtually all U.S.
poultry shipments to Russia would be threatened
by this action. A scanned copy of the
backdated letter and courtesy translation were
sent to FSIS on January 26 (REF A). An informal
embassy translation of the letter follows. END
SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT:
Moscow, January 23, 2009
No. FS-GK-2/347

Assistant Administrator
Office of International Affairs
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
Dr. Ronald K. Jones

The Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary
Surveillance Service (VPSS) extends its regards
to USDA/FSIS and informs you of the following.

The date of implementation of Resolution No. 33
announced on June 2, 2008, titled, "On production
and circulation of poultry meat", issued by the
chief medical officer of the Russian Federation
has been postponed until January 1, 2010.

In connection with this, we ask that you
provide us by September 2009 a list of U.S.
poultry establishments that comply with the
above-mentioned resolution banning the use of
chlorine-based solutions for treatment of poultry
carcasses if the chlorine content exceeds the
norms stipulated in SanPiN 2.1.4.1074-01 titled,
"Drinking water. Hygiene requirements to the
quality of water in centralized systems of water
supply. Quality control." In the future we ask
that you only organize routine joint audits from
these establishments.

Dr. Jones, let me assure you of my highest
esteem.

Deputy Head
G.K. Kovalev
END TEXT.


3. (SBU) On June 2, 2008, Russian Chief Medical
Officer Gennadiy Onishchenko signed Resolution
No. 33 banning the use of chlorinated
antimicrobial washes in poultry production as of
January 1, 2009 (REF C). This resolution would
have effectively blocked all U.S. exports of
poultry to Russia since the majority of U.S.
facilities use such washes during the chilling
process to kill foodborne pathogens before the
product reaches consumers' plates (REF B). In
December 2008, Onishchenko agreed to postpone
implementation of Resolution No. 33 for one full
year in conjunction with the separate agreement
reached by U.S. and Russian negotiators on
poultry exports for 2009.


4. (SBU) Resolution No. 33 sets the chlorine
maximum residue level (MRL) in poultry production
at 0.5 part per million (PPM) which is the same
level set for tap water. The new MRL is 100

times more stringent than the current level set
in Russian regulations for poultry production.
In effect, the resolution bans the common
industry practice of using chlorine in
antimicrobial washes to kill surface foodborne
pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli. Post
contacted the Federal Service for Consumer
Protection and Human Well-Being (Rospotrebnadzor)
last summer with a request for scientific
evidence justifying the need for such action. We
were told that no such information would be
provided apparently due to the fact that no risk
assessment was ever performed.


5. (SBU) On December 18, 2008, high level USDA
and USTR officials met with Onishchenko and his
staff in Moscow to discuss various issues of
concern including chlorine. Onishchenko stated
that he was open to the idea of having U.S.
government scientists meet with his technical
experts to share information and discuss the
chlorine issue in more detail. Onishchenko
hinted at the meeting that Russia did indeed have
scientific research to support its stringent MRL
standard for chlorine but did not share it at the
December 18 meeting. He seemed ready to have
technical experts from both governments review
the scientific research on chlorine.


6. (SBU) COMMENT: We have a window of opportunity
to meet with Rospotrebnadzor at the technical
level to discuss the science behind using
chlorine in poultry production and to gain a
better understanding of their health concerns
with this process and then to possibly resolve
this matter before the ban takes effect next
year. Post recommends that USDA and FDA
representatives initiate a technical level
meeting with Rospotrebnadzor in the nearest
future to share information on this issue. END
COMMENT.

BEYRLE