VZCZCXYZ0015
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMO #2946/01 2771411
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031411Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY 5381
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0232
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 4663
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 5213

UNCLAS MOSCOW 002946 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
USDA FAS FOR OCRA/KUYPERS; ONA/MURPHY 
- OSTA/HAMILTON, BEAN 
PASS FSIS/HARRIES, DUTROW 
PASS APHIS MITCHELL 
STATE FOR EUR/RUS, EB/ATP/SINGER 
STATE PASS USTR FOR PORTER 
BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ 
VIENNA PASS APHIS/TANAKA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD TBIO WTO RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA DELISTS 2 MORE U.S. POULTRY 
PLANTS 
 
REF: A) HANSEN/DUTROW EMAIL 10/02/08 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Russian Federal Veterinary 
and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) 
informed via official letter that it had delisted 
2 U.S. poultry facilities after tests results 
ostensibly revealed the presence of Salmonella. 
Original scanned copy and courtesy translation 
were sent to FSIS on October 2 (REF A).  An 
informal embassy translation of the letter 
follows. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT: 
Moscow, October 01, 2008 
No. FS-NV-2/9907 
 
To: Dr. William James 
Deputy Administrator of the USDA Food Safety and 
Inspection Service (FSIS) 
 
The Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary 
Surveillance Service (VPSS) pays its respect to 
the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service 
(FSIS). 
 
Salmonella was detected during routine monitoring 
of banned and harmful agent residues in frozen 
chicken leg quarters exported from the United 
States to Russia.  Laboratory tests confirmed the 
presence of salmonella which is a violation of 
the approved veterinary certificate requirements 
for animal origin products intended for export to 
the Russian Federation (laboratory test protocols 
No. 18227(1-3)S of 08/28/2008; No. 18227A (1-3)S 
of 09/04/2008; No. 19011 (1-3)S of 09/03/2008; 
and No. 19011A (1-3)S of 09/10/2008). 
 
The product originated from the U.S. facilities 
P-17500 and P-3 under veterinary certificates 
RFA-053553 of July 9, 2008 and RFA-031257 of July 
16, 2008. 
 
In view of these circumstances, VPSS informs that 
temporary restrictions will be imposed as of 
October 10, 2008, on export of products from 
facility P-17500 to the Russian Federation.  VPSS 
requests that FSIS undertake a thorough 
investigation and explain how Salmonella was 
present in livestock products exported to Russia. 
Furthermore we ask you to take appropriate 
measures to avoid exporting products to the 
Russian Federation that do not meet the approved 
veterinary certificate requirements.  VPSS would 
appreciate materials related to the results of 
your investigations. 
 
At the same time, we would like to remind you 
that in April 2007 (letter No. FS-EN-2/3637 of 
April 20, 2007), VPSS imposed temporary 
restrictions on the facility P-3 because of 
salmonella found in exported product and asked 
you to take measures to avoid such violations in 
the future.  In July 2007, VPSS experts, together 
with FSIS officials, carried out a joint 
inspection of the U.S. poultry facilities. 
 
In October 2007 (letter No. FS-EN-2/10322 of 
October 16, 2008) P-3 was excluded from the 
approved list of the exporting facilities by VPSS 
based on the results of the inspection that 
revealed violations of the mutually approved 
criteria, which U.S. meat processing facilities 
must abide by to export products to Russia. 
 
However, on January 28, 2008, in accordance with 
the Agreement of November 2006, and based on FSIS 
guaranties (letter of January 10, 2008), VPSS 
 
again included P-3 to the list of the U.S. 
facilities approved for export to Russia. 
 
The new cases of salmonella detection in product 
from P-3 referenced in this letter confirm that 
FSIS guaranties are groundless regarding 
compliance of the said facility with the approved 
veterinary and sanitary requirements, which are 
required for all facilities exporting meat 
products to Russia.  This was also confirmed 
during the regular inspection of P-3 by VPSS 
experts in July-August 2008.  Based on the 
results of the last inspection, P-3 was again 
removed from the list of poultry meat facilities 
approved for export to Russia (letter No. FS-NV- 
2.9061 of September 09, 2008). 
 
Doctor James, accept my assurances in the deepest 
respect. 
 
Attachment: 12 pages (not included in this 
telegram) 
 
Deputy Head 
 
N.A. Vlasov 
 
END TEXT. 
 
¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: As post as repeated several 
times, VPSS is building a case against FSIS to 
show that it is incapable of ensuring that U.S. 
meat and poultry meet Russian veterinary 
regulations so that trade can be restricted when 
deemed necessary.  Post encourages Washington 
addresses to seek higher-level intervention to 
prod Russia into accepting international 
scientific standards as called for by 
international governing bodies such as the World 
Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and Codex 
Alimentarius.  Russia's current zero-tolerance 
level for food pathogens, like Salmonella, has no 
scientific basis and is unrealistically strict 
when dealing with animal carcasses. END COMMENT. 
BEYRLE