Russian agribusiness invests to beef up food safety

Russian agro-industrial organisation Miratorg has invested over RUB75 million ($1.3m) to improve quality control at its giant beef production site.

Miratorg claims to be Russia’s largest beef and pork producer and, for a number of years, has been building a massive, vertically integrated, beef production complex in Bryansk, western Russia.

The $1.3m investment, made over 2016, was spent on bolstering quality control systems for the site. This included hiring specially trained staff, installing electronic scanners and metal detectors, and making continual improvements to on-site food safety labs.

The company has built a multi-level quality control system,” explained a Miratorg press spokesperson.

First of all [come] staff training and the application of the latest computer technologies [which] provide a thorough trace from farm to counter. It is important that control is exercised, not only by our specialists, but also by independent auditors.

Double control ensures we respond quickly and accurately to any possible deviations from existing standards and guarantee the highest quality of products for the consumer.

The company claims the beef complex in Bryansk is the largest vertically integrated beef facility in Russia. It currently rears 400,000 head of Aberdeen Angus cattle and Miratorg hopes this grows in 2017 as Russia targets new export partners.

The complex is designed to slaughter and process to both halal and non-halal requirements. This has helped Miratorg secure a halal deal with the United Arab Emirates for beef exports. The company also claimed to be the only company outside North America to produce marbled meat that was Certified Angus Beef.

Miratorg was founded in 1995 and is involved in plant cultivation and the end-to-end production of beef and pork.