Mega-producer JBS USA has banned the use of ractopamine in the hogs it purchases because it sees a trade opportunity with China where the growth drug remains prohibited. JBS, owned by JBS S.A. based in
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Report: Most Turkey Producers Allow Routine Antibiotic Use
Humane farming advocates Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) have released an overview of the antibiotics and other drugs used in turkey production. The organization is part of the Keep Antibiotics Working coalition, which recommends that
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Nonprofits Sue FDA Claiming Agency Hasn’t Proven Safety of Animal Growth Drug
A trio of food safety and environmental advocacy groups Thursday filed suit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, saying the agency has not sufficiently proven that ractopamine, a drug fed to pigs, cattle and
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Lost Meat Sales to Russia Over Ractopamine Costing Millions, Not Billions
The ban on U.S. pork and beef exports to Russia over ractopamine is costly for American producers, but not as much as was recently reported by the U.S. Ambassador. 
U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul
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USDA Introduces Certification Program for Meat Without Growth-Enhancing Drugs
A new U.S. Department of Agriculture certification program for livestock producers may permit them to market their products with a special “Never Fed Beta Agonists” label. 
Beta agonists are feed additives used to increase muscle
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Smithfield Sale Raises New Questions About the Future of Ractopamine
The sale of Smithfield Foods, the United States’ largest pork producer, to Shuanghui International, China’s largest meat company, raises new questions about the future of ractopamine, a controversial growth-promoting drug that is widely used in
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Senators Urge U.S. Trade Rep to Resolve Russian Ractopamine Ban
Thirty-three U.S. senators from livestock states, including Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Thad Cochran (R-MS), chairwoman and ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, on Tuesday sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk urging
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Escalating Trade Dispute, Russia Bans Turkey Over Ractopamine Residues
Russia will ban U.S. turkey products over concerns about the controversial animal drug ractopamine, the country’s Veterinary and Phyto-Sanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) announced this week. The news comes a few days after Russia announced it
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Russia to Ban U.S. Meat Over Ractopamine Residues This Month
Russia will ban U.S. pork and beef imports starting this month over concerns about ractopamine, a veterinary drug commonly used in North America to boost growth and leanness that is increasingly controversial overseas, according to
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FDA Petitioned to Lower Ractopamine Limits for Meat, Review Health Impacts
Animal rights and food safety groups are petitioning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to immediately lower the allowed residue limits for ractopamine — a controversial drug used to boost growth and leanness in meat
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U.S. and Russia Spar Over Ractopamine in Pork and Beef
The long-running international dispute over ractopamine, a drug used to boost growth and leanness in pork and beef production, has become even more contentious in recent weeks. Russia, which is an increasingly important export market
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