MOSCOW – Russia will impose a ban on chilled and frozen US meat imports starting in February after the US failed to provide documentation confirming that meat exported to Russia will be free of ractopamine, a feed additive.

Chilled meat will be banned starting Feb. 4, and frozen meat will be banned starting Feb. 11. The action was taken after Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, received no response to its request for information about measures the US is taking to prevent exporting non-compliant chilled and frozen meat products.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service warned the US meat industry that Russia may ban imports of US beef and pork on Moscow’s requirement that meat be tested and certified free of ractopamine. Russia has made similar requests to Canada, Brazil and Mexico.