After banning the import of refrigerated meat from the United States and Canada starting Feb. 4, Russia may extend the ban to all meat products in whose production ractopamine is used, a top official at the Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight Service, Artyom Daushev, said, Interfax reported.
Ractopamine is used to stimulate muscle growth in livestock raised for their meat.
"We think we can take measures that are equivalent to those adopted by the European Union in relation to the United States. A full ban on the import of meat in the production of which ractopamine is used is in effect in the EU," he said. "World Trade Organization rules permit this," he said.
(MT)