VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMO #0286/01 0371220
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061220Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY 5445
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1792
INFO RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 4714
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 5272

UNCLAS MOSCOW 000286 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
USDA FAS FOR OCRA/KUYPERS; OSTA/HAMILTON, BEAN; 
ONA/TING, SALLYARDS, MURPHY 
PASS FSIS DUTROW, HARRIES 
PASS APHIS MITCHELL 
STATE FOR EUR/RUS 
STATE PASS USTR FOR CHATTIN, MURPHY, HAFNER 
BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ 
VIENNA PASS APHIS/TANAKA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON WTO RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN VET SERVICE DELISTS TWO MORE 
POULTRY FACILITIES 
 
REF: A) HANSEN/DUTROW EMAIL 1/30/09 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Russian Federal Veterinary 
and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) 
advised via official letter that 2 more U.S. 
poultry facilities were delisted after tests 
results ostensibly showed the presence of 
antibiotics and food-borne pathogen Listeria.  In 
addition, VPSS informed that they placed 2 
additional U.S. poultry facilities on a "watch 
list" after pharmaceutical drug coccidiostatic 
Nicarbasin was detected during routine monitoring 
at the port of entry.  The original scanned copy 
of the letter and courtesy translation were sent 
to FAS/FSIS on January 30, 2009 (REF A).  An 
informal embassy translation of the letter 
follows. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT: 
Moscow, January 29, 2009 
No. FS-NV-2/547 
 
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 the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service 
(FSIS) and informs you of the following: 
 
During routine monitoring of residues of harmful 
and prohibited substances, tests revealed the 
antibiotic Doxicillin and the pathogen Listeria 
in poultry exported from the United States to the 
Russian Federation (Protocol No. 2677 of December 
18, 2008; No. 884 of December 1, 2008; Protocol 
No. 884(4) M/A of December 15, 2008) that is in 
violation of the requirements of the negotiated 
veterinary certificate for poultry exported to 
the Russian Federation. 
 
The products were manufactured at the U.S. 
establishments P-20322 and P-20245 (veterinary 
certificates RFA-035236 of October 06, 2008 and 
RFA-216403 of September 27, 2008). 
 
In this connection, VPSS informs you that 
temporary restrictions are imposed on the exports 
of products from the mentioned U.S. 
establishments to the Russian Federation starting 
February 6, 2009. 
 
In addition we would like to inform you that 
coccidiostatic Nicarbasin was revealed in the 
shipments of poultry originating from U.S. 
establishments P-6666 and P-308 and shipped to 
the Russian Federation with veterinary 
certificate RFA-035235 dated October 06, 2008 
(Protocols 2671 and 2680 of December 18, 2008). 
VPSS asks FSIS and APHIS to collaboratively 
develop a timetable of applications of 
pharmaceuticals during treatment or prophylactics 
in poultry flocks at the U.S. poultry breeding 
farms that supply poultry processing facilities 
with birds for slaughter in order to provide 
enough period of time for the removal of the 
medicines from live bird before slaughtering. 
 
From its side, VPSS will conduct mandatory tests 
on all products that are exported to the Russian 
Federation from U.S. establishments P-6666 and P- 
¶308. 
 
Therefore, VPSS asks you to conduct an 
investigation of the above-mentioned cases and 
 
take measures for preventing the shipments of 
products to the Russian Federation that are not 
in compliance with the requirements of the 
Russian Federation and negotiated veterinary 
certificate. 
 
Please inform VPSS with the results of your 
investigation and the preventing measures you 
will take to rectify the situation. 
 
Dr. Jones, let me assure you of my highest 
esteem. 
 
Attachment: on 16 pages (not included in cable). 
 
Deputy Head 
N.A. Vlasov 
END TEXT. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The antibiotic (Doxicillin) claimed by 
VPSS to have been detected in product from one of 
the delisted poultry facilities has not been 
approved by the Food and Drug Administration for 
use in poultry production in the United States. 
The subject company's chief veterinary official 
confirmed with Post that it had never used 
Doxicillin in its operations and that no 
tetracycline group antibiotic has been used in 
any of their farms since April 2008.  In 
addition, the company has never received a 
positive test result for Salmonella or Listeria 
through their independent, third party USDA- 
approved reference laboratory over a period of 
several years. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The delisted facilities mentioned in the 
letter belong to Keystone Foods based in Alabama. 
Post recommended to Keystone representatives to 
undertake an internal investigation and prepare a 
response to the action being undertaken by VPSS. 
The company has complied and sent the 
documentation to Post on February 6.  Post 
requests that FSIS prepare a letter to VPSS and 
attach the documentation received from Keystone 
Foods with a request to have the facilities 
relisted ASAP.  The results of the Keystone Foods 
internal investigation raise serious doubts as to 
the validity of VPSS' findings of antibiotics and 
Lysteria in the company's shipment to Russia. 
 
BEYRLE