Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (NYSE:PPC) has received formal approval from the US Department of Agriculture to resume exporting chicken products to Russia. The company said the USDA has approved exports to Russia from Pilgrim’s processing facilities in Boaz AL, Russellville AL, and Dallas TX. The Alabama plants already have begun packing product for Russia, and Pilgrim’s said it expects to resume shipments shortly. The Dallas plant resumed production July 26.
Earlier in July, Russian officials signed a formal poultry agreement with the United States outlining new processing requirements for domestic chicken to be exported to Russia. Earlier this year, Russia had banned all US chicken that had been processed with chlorinated water. Under the new requirements approved recently, US chicken companies can replace the chlorinated rinse with cetylpyridinium chloride, peroxyacetic acid, or hydrogen peroxide. Pilgrim’s plants in Boaz and Russellville were converted to peroxyacetic acid earlier this year.
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has compiled a new approved list for Russia that was sent to the Russian government and is based on the Russian-approved list that was in effect December 31, 2009. As soon as companies appear on the new FSIS list, they are eligible to begin shipping to Russia immediately.
“We are pleased that the new agreement is in place and we look forward to resuming export shipments to Russia as soon as possible,” said Don Jackson, Pilgrim’s Pride president and chief executive. “Russia is an important export market for US chicken, and the reopening of the borders will be a significant benefit to our company and industry.”
Pilgrim’s Pride employs approximately 41,000 people and operates chicken processing plants and prepared-foods facilities in 12 states, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. For more information, visit www.pilgrimspride.com/.
