VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMO #0187/01 0281322
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281322Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY 5433
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1653
INFO RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 4704
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 5260

UNCLAS MOSCOW 000187 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
USDA FAS FOR OCRA/KUYPERS; OSTA/HAMILTON, BEAN; 
ONA/TING, SALLYARDS 
PASS FSIS/HARRIES, DUTROW 
PASS APHIS MITCHELL 
STATE FOR EUR/RUS 
STATE PASS USTR FOR CHATTIN 
BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ 
VIENNA PASS APHIS/TANAKA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON WTO RS
SUBJECT: U.S. POULTRY FACILITIES PUT ON NOTICE 
REGARDING CHLORINE 
 
REF: A) HANSEN/DUTROW EMAIL 01/26/09, B) 08 
MOSCOW 1826, C) 08 MOSCOW 1947 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Russian Federal Veterinary 
and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) 
demanded via official letter a list of U.S. 
poultry facilities that do not use chlorinated 
anti-microbial washes in poultry production by 
September 2009.  According to the letter a 
resolution banning the use of chlorine will take 
effect January 1, 2010.  Virtually all U.S. 
poultry shipments to Russia would be threatened 
by this action. A scanned copy of the 
backdated letter and courtesy translation were 
sent to FSIS on January 26 (REF A).  An informal 
embassy translation of the letter follows. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT: 
Moscow, January 23, 2009 
No. FS-GK-2/347 
 
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 USDA/FSIS and informs you of the following. 
 
The date of implementation of Resolution No. 33 
announced on June 2, 2008, titled, "On production 
and circulation of poultry meat", issued by the 
chief medical officer of the Russian Federation 
has been postponed until January 1, 2010. 
 
In connection with this, we ask that you 
provide us by September 2009 a list of U.S. 
poultry establishments that comply with the 
above-mentioned resolution banning the use of 
chlorine-based solutions for treatment of poultry 
carcasses if the chlorine content exceeds the 
norms stipulated in SanPiN 2.1.4.1074-01 titled, 
"Drinking water. Hygiene requirements to the 
quality of water in centralized systems of water 
supply. Quality control."  In the future we ask 
that you only organize routine joint audits from 
these establishments. 
 
Dr. Jones, let me assure you of my highest 
esteem. 
 
Deputy Head 
G.K. Kovalev 
END TEXT. 
 
¶3. (SBU) On June 2, 2008, Russian Chief Medical 
Officer Gennadiy Onishchenko signed Resolution 
No. 33 banning the use of chlorinated 
antimicrobial washes in poultry production as of 
January 1, 2009 (REF C).  This resolution would 
have effectively blocked all U.S. exports of 
poultry to Russia since the majority of U.S. 
facilities use such washes during the chilling 
process to kill foodborne pathogens before the 
product reaches consumers' plates (REF B).  In 
December 2008, Onishchenko agreed to postpone 
implementation of Resolution No. 33 for one full 
year in conjunction with the separate agreement 
reached by U.S. and Russian negotiators on 
poultry exports for 2009. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Resolution No. 33 sets the chlorine 
maximum residue level (MRL) in poultry production 
at 0.5 part per million (PPM) which is the same 
level set for tap water.  The new MRL is 100 
 
times more stringent than the current level set 
in Russian regulations for poultry production. 
In effect, the resolution bans the common 
industry practice of using chlorine in 
antimicrobial washes to kill surface foodborne 
pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli.  Post 
contacted the Federal Service for Consumer 
Protection and Human Well-Being (Rospotrebnadzor) 
last summer with a request for scientific 
evidence justifying the need for such action.  We 
were told that no such information would be 
provided apparently due to the fact that no risk 
assessment was ever performed. 
 
¶5. (SBU) On December 18, 2008, high level USDA 
and USTR officials met with Onishchenko and his 
staff in Moscow to discuss various issues of 
concern including chlorine.  Onishchenko stated 
that he was open to the idea of having U.S. 
government scientists meet with his technical 
experts to share information and discuss the 
chlorine issue in more detail.  Onishchenko 
hinted at the meeting that Russia did indeed have 
scientific research to support its stringent MRL 
standard for chlorine but did not share it at the 
December 18 meeting.  He seemed ready to have 
technical experts from both governments review 
the scientific research on chlorine. 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: We have a window of opportunity 
to meet with Rospotrebnadzor at the technical 
level to discuss the science behind using 
chlorine in poultry production and to gain a 
better understanding of their health concerns 
with this process and then to possibly resolve 
this matter before the ban takes effect next 
year.  Post recommends that USDA and FDA 
representatives initiate a technical level 
meeting with Rospotrebnadzor in the nearest 
future to share information on this issue. END 
COMMENT. 
 
BEYRLE