RUSSIAN VET SERVICE DELISTS TWO MORE

UNCLAS MOSCOW 000286

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON WTO RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN VET SERVICE DELISTS TWO MORE
POULTRY FACILITIES

REF: A) HANSEN/DUTROW EMAIL 1/30/09

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Russian Federal Veterinary
and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS)
advised via official letter that 2 more U.S.
poultry facilities were delisted after tests
results ostensibly showed the presence of
antibiotics and food-borne pathogen Listeria. In
addition, VPSS informed that they placed 2
additional U.S. poultry facilities on a "watch
list" after pharmaceutical drug coccidiostatic
Nicarbasin was detected during routine monitoring
at the port of entry. The original scanned copy
of the letter and courtesy translation were sent
to FAS/FSIS on January 30, 2009 (REF A). An
informal embassy translation of the letter
follows. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT:
Moscow, January 29, 2009
No. FS-NV-2/547

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 the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
(FSIS) and informs you of the following:

During routine monitoring of residues of harmful
and prohibited substances, tests revealed the
antibiotic Doxicillin and the pathogen Listeria
in poultry exported from the United States to the
Russian Federation (Protocol No. 2677 of December
18, 2008; No. 884 of December 1, 2008; Protocol
No. 884(4) M/A of December 15, 2008) that is in
violation of the requirements of the negotiated
veterinary certificate for poultry exported to
the Russian Federation.

The products were manufactured at the U.S.
establishments P-20322 and P-20245 (veterinary
certificates RFA-035236 of October 06, 2008 and
RFA-216403 of September 27, 2008).

In this connection, VPSS informs you that
temporary restrictions are imposed on the exports
of products from the mentioned U.S.
establishments to the Russian Federation starting
February 6, 2009.

In addition we would like to inform you that
coccidiostatic Nicarbasin was revealed in the
shipments of poultry originating from U.S.
establishments P-6666 and P-308 and shipped to
the Russian Federation with veterinary
certificate RFA-035235 dated October 06, 2008
(Protocols 2671 and 2680 of December 18, 2008).
VPSS asks FSIS and APHIS to collaboratively
develop a timetable of applications of
pharmaceuticals during treatment or prophylactics
in poultry flocks at the U.S. poultry breeding
farms that supply poultry processing facilities
with birds for slaughter in order to provide
enough period of time for the removal of the
medicines from live bird before slaughtering.

From its side, VPSS will conduct mandatory tests
on all products that are exported to the Russian
Federation from U.S. establishments P-6666 and P-

308.

Therefore, VPSS asks you to conduct an
investigation of the above-mentioned cases and

take measures for preventing the shipments of
products to the Russian Federation that are not
in compliance with the requirements of the
Russian Federation and negotiated veterinary
certificate.

Please inform VPSS with the results of your
investigation and the preventing measures you
will take to rectify the situation.

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

Attachment: on 16 pages (not included in cable).

Deputy Head
N.A. Vlasov
END TEXT.


3. (SBU) The antibiotic (Doxicillin) claimed by
VPSS to have been detected in product from one of
the delisted poultry facilities has not been
approved by the Food and Drug Administration for
use in poultry production in the United States.
The subject company's chief veterinary official
confirmed with Post that it had never used
Doxicillin in its operations and that no
tetracycline group antibiotic has been used in
any of their farms since April 2008. In
addition, the company has never received a
positive test result for Salmonella or Listeria
through their independent, third party USDA-
approved reference laboratory over a period of
several years.


4. (SBU) The delisted facilities mentioned in the
letter belong to Keystone Foods based in Alabama.
Post recommended to Keystone representatives to
undertake an internal investigation and prepare a
response to the action being undertaken by VPSS.
The company has complied and sent the
documentation to Post on February 6. Post
requests that FSIS prepare a letter to VPSS and
attach the documentation received from Keystone
Foods with a request to have the facilities
relisted ASAP. The results of the Keystone Foods
internal investigation raise serious doubts as to
the validity of VPSS' findings of antibiotics and
Lysteria in the company's shipment to Russia.

BEYRLE