From 1 December, Rosselkhoznador in Russia, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, has banned Brazilian pig meat and beef due to concerns that the meat contained a muscle growth stimulant called by ractopamine.
Ractopamine is banned for use in pork production in Russia, China and the EU, but it is used in some countries such as the US and Canada.
It is unknown how long this ban on imports from Brazil will be in place, however Russia has been increasing domestic pig meat production. Russia recently expanded the embargo against agri-food imports products, which was implemented in August 2014 which was politically motivated.
This latest development in Brazilian food safety may cause other countries to further question the safety and traceability of meat from Brazil.