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Russia bans Australian beef exports

Russia has banned Australian chilled and frozen beef after detecting traces of trenbolone, an active ingredient in hormone growth promotants.

The ban will begin next Monday, 7 April and will have a large impact on Australia’s meat processers, ABC Rural reports.

Australian beef is the largest agricultural export to Russia, worth $110 million last year.

Australian agricultural minister Barnaby Joyce believes the ban has more to do with politics, namely Russia’s annexation of Crimea. "Well, I am disappointed. We are very stringent with what leaves Australian shores. The people who are delivering Wagyu cattle are not ones to play with the premium nature of the brand,” he said. "You are not going to find hormone growth promotants in Wagyu cattle."

In the past year, Russia has complained several times about growth promotants. Last year the Department of Agriculture investigated a complaint and found no evidence of trenbolone use. In January, Russia temporarily banned beef by-products from Australia after claiming they found trenbolone in several shipments of the product.

Two weeks ago, Russia complained and Australian officials investigated again, finding no evidence of promotant use in the cattle.

Russia has been also been tough on kangaroo exports, banning exports from Australia for four years in 2009, claiming the trade presented food safety concerns. It was not until March last year that kangaroo meat trade resumed.

 

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