Russian export standards could mean lower cattle prices

By Miranda Saunders

Beef producers are being warned they could face lower prices if their cattle don't comply with Russian export standards.

From the start of the year, Russia imposed a zero tolerance for any trace of the antibiotic oxytetrocycline.

A number of Australian meat companies have been caught with meat containing traces of the antibiotic, including one from Northern NSW.

Australia's meat standards regulator Safemeat has warned breaches of the Russian policy could have devastating ramifications for Australia.

"Detection of oxytetracycline or chlortetracycline residues in meat or offal in Russia will result in the meat processor, and potentially Australia, being banned from that market," it says on its website.

Chief executive of the Northern Cooperative Meat Company, Gary Burridge, says the company is changing its testing regime to bring it in line with the Russian standards.

"We were not aware of the problem with oxytetracycline when we had the detection," he says.

"We were like most of Australia caught completely unaware of the zero tolerance level in Russia."

"What we're doing at the moment is we've isolated the offending feedlots and we've put them on an intensified monitoring and testing program."

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201201/s3407467.htm