Veterinary watchdog of Russia yesterday announced that they plan to introduce a ban on New Zealand beef and beef products, starting Monday next week. The results of laboratory tests conducted in 2016 showed that numerous violations of standards in the field of meat and meat products from New Zealand were identified. From May to December, numerous listeria bacteria in beef and beef offal, and ractopamine in beef liver.
Roctopamine is a feed additivewhich is used to increase muscle mass in pigs and cattle grown for meat and has been banned in many countries of the European Union and Russia. The New Zealand authorities have responded by stating that New Zealand’s food standards are among the highest in the world, and they are determined to produce high-quality, safe meat for domestic and foreign consumers. The chief executive officer of the New Zealand Meat Industry Association stated that the additive was banned for use in livestock or sheep feed in New Zealand, but was allowed for pig feed, so it is available in the country, so there is a possibility that it was in the cows food chain accidentally or otherwise. In addition, while ractopamine is prohibited for use in many countries around the world, it is not prohibited in every country, including the United States. Therefore, in New Zealand, beef products for export to Russia may also include beef products obtained from a country in which ractopamine is not prohibited. 
