Russia until the end of the week, may prohibit the supply of pork and beef from Brazil in connection with the discovery in the production of ractopamine, which is used to speed up animal growth. About TASS said the official representative of the Rosselkhoznadzor Julia Melano.

"The ban is supposed [to spread] to all of the Brazilian enterprise for pork and beef," said Melano, adding that to Friday, November 17, the ban will be introduced if the presence ractopamine confirmed.

The Rosselkhoznadzor had previously reported that the use of ractopamine in swine average daily gain increased by 10%, the average daily consumption of feed is reduced by 6%. Ractopamine is added to feed to pigs in the last stages of fattening, when slowing down the growth of muscle tissue and begins to grow fat. The drug breaks down fats and promotes intense muscle growth.

In a pharmacological sense, ractopamine is a beta agonist from one group with adrenaline, but not intended to be used for medical purposes. Human consumption of eating meat and byproducts of animals treated with ractopamine with feed for growth stimulation, may cause poisoning, manifested clinical signs such as abnormal heart rhythm, headaches, muscle spasms, increased blood pressure. The effect of this stimulant on humans are not fully understood, but the use of products with residues of ractopamine people with cardiovascular disease are dangerous.

Currently, ractopamine is used in USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico and 25 other countries the substance is banned for use in the European Union, China, Russia and others (over 120) countries.