Export Requirements <FONT color=red>[Update: Singapore]</FONT>

European Union

Residue Testing

All samples collected under the EU Additional Residue Testing Program will be forwarded to Maxxam Analytics in Canada for screening.

All slaughter establishments approved for export of meat and/or offal to the EU are required to participate in the EU Additional Residue Testing Program. The EU Additional Residue Testing Program is outlined in Table 1. This program was initiated in 1989 for all red meat slaughter establishments approved for export of meat and/or offals to the EU.

The FSIS Office of International Affair (OIA), Import Export Program Staff (IEPS), coordinates the additional residue testing program for products destined to the EU.  The only North American Laboratory qualified under this program is Maxxam Analytics, Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Following is the Maxxam contact information: phone numbers (905) 817-5700 or 1-800-563-6266, email info@maxxamanalytics.com and Web site www.maxxamanalytics.com.

Japan

Ineligible products

Virginia: Poultry slaughtered prior to June 15, 2007 is eligible. Poultry slaughtered on or after June 15, 2007 and before Nov. 2, 2007 is ineligible. Poultry slaughtered on or after Nov. 2, 2007 is eligible.

New FSIS Letterhead Certificate available for poultry slaughtered on or after Nov. 2, 2007.

Poultry may be restricted from originating or passing through certain states in which low path avian influenza has been reported. Applicants for export certification must determine which certification statement or statements apply to the product to be exported based on the date of slaughter. The statement(s) must be typed in the "Remarks" section of FSIS Form 9060-5 or supplied on FSIS Letterhead Certificate(s):

"The live poultry used for the production of the exported poultry meat did not originate from New York or Nebraska and did not pass through New York or Nebraska before being carried into poultry processing plants."

Egg products

Japan has changed the following requiremnts for egg products, and requires new FSIS Letterhead Certificates.

South Dakota: Eggs laid prior to May 24, 2007 or on or after Oct. 12, 2007 are eligible. Eggs laid on or after May 24 2007 and before Oct. 12, 2007 are eligible.

Virginia: Eggs laid prior to June 15, 2007 and after Nov. 2, 2007 are ineligible.  Eggs laid on June 15, 2007 and before Nov. 2, 2007 are eligible.

Additional certification is required that trucks and railcars either did not transit any restricted states or were sealed by USDA during transit of any restricted state.

If the product will not transit restricted states, statement 1 may be completed and signed at the plant where the export originates.

If the product must be sealed for transport through restricted states, the FSIS program employee breaking the seal prior to loading into Japan-bound ocean containers verifies that the seal was intact, then completes statement 2 and signs the certificate.

The statements below are provided on and FSIS Letterhead Certificate:
"To the best of FSIS' knowledge, the exported poultry meat did not transit ________________________________________________________ before leaving the United States" OR
"The container was sealed by FSIS prior to transiting with USDA seal number __________. If seal number __________ was removed by FSIS, the exported poultry meat did not transit restricted states after the removal of the seal."

Russia

Raw Beef

Beef slaughter and cutting establishments that were reviewed by Russian officials in September 2007, but not approved, can be approved for export to Russia upon FSIS verification of correction of deficiencies identified by Russian officials during the review.

Plant management must submit a corrective action plan to the FSIS IIC that lists each deficiency identified on the review form (Act of Inspection) completed by the Russian official at the time of the review and that lists each corrective action taken by the plant. The IIC should verify that the corrective actions are adequate. Questions regarding the Russia requirements should be addressed to the Import Export Programs Staff at 800/233-3935.

Once the corrective actions are verified as adequate, the IIC should complete an FSIS letterhead verification document and fax the verification document and the corrective action plan from plant management to the Import/Export Programs Staff at 202/720-7990 or send by e-mail to importexport@fsis.usda.gov. After review of the documents, FSIS, Office of International Affairs will notify Russian officials of the corrective actions. Following the notification, the approved plant list will be revised to indicate eligibility of the establishment.

In addition to the plants identified below, the following poultry establishments can be approved for export to Russia upon FSIS verification of correction of deficiencies identified by Russian officials during the July 2007 reviews.

• P-3, Mountaire Farms, Millsboro, Del.
• P-32, Mar-Jac Poultry, Gainesville, Ga.
• P-243. Tyson Foods. Cumming, Ga.
• P-320, Sanderson Farms, Laurel, Mass.
• P-855, Pilgrim's Pride, Athens, Ga.
• P-7470, Mountaire Farms, Lumber Bridge, N.C.
• P-7769, Farbest Foods, Huntingburg, Ind.
• P-9181, Koch Foods, Gainesville, Ga.
• P-19128, Case Farms, Dudley, N.C.
• P-19378, Greko, Cumming, Ga.
• P-19767, Cannon Cold Storage, Bridgeville, Del.

Singapore

The restrictions on fresh/frozen poultry meat from West Virginia have been removed effective with birds slaughtered on or after Nov. 12, 2007.