Farm-Scape is sponsored by Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork Play Audio Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.

Farm-Scape, Episode 1386

The Canadian Pork Council says farmers will need to adjust to new anti-terrorism regulations that call for prior notice of the arrival of certain food products at US ports of entry.

The US Bioterrorism Preparedness Act was developed in response to terrorist attacks on 9-11, 2001 and comes into effect December 12.

The regulations require owners, operators or agents in charge of facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for human or animal consumption to be registered with the FDA and for prior notice of the arrival of shipments at the US border.

CPC Communications Officer Anita DeCoste says farms are listed as one of the exceptions to the registration requirement but producers are included on the list of those who can provide prior notice of shipment.

"What we've learned from the FDA to this point, is that this can include but is not limited to brokers, importers, US agents and they've also added to that list producers.

At some point before the shipment arrives in the US, they will have to receive notification that the shipment will be arriving in the US.

As the interim rules reads currently, meat, food products, poultry and egg products are under the jurisdiction of the USDA and are not covered under this regulation but it is expected that live food animals will be considered under this regulation as food and shipments of live food animals will therefor be expected at this point to have to provide prior notice of shipment to the US FDA".

DeCoste says, according to the interim final rule, FDA must receive notice of shipments no sooner than five days before their arrival and notice must be received of shipments by truck no later than two hours prior to arrival, by train or airplane no later than four hours prior to arrival or by boat no later than eight hours prior to arrival.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.