US Anti-bioterrorism Rules Expected to Impact All Who Ship Food South
CANADA - Farm-Scape: Episode 1401. Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.
9 December 2003
3 minute read
  Farm-Scape is sponsored by
Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork  Play AudioFarm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork. |
Farm-Scape, Episode 1401
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says every Canadian planning to send a food product or live food animal into the US should be aware of new anti-bioterrorism regulations.
The new US Bioterrorism Preparedness Act is scheduled to take effect Friday.
Although farms are exempt from regulations requiring food processing facilities that export products to the US to be registered with the US FDA, farms will be affected by the prior notification regulation.
CFIA International Affairs Representative Sharon Flack says virtually all food products, including live animals, are covered.
"As far as prior notice goes, everybody who might be shipping food into the United States and even through the United States will be affected by this new rule.
The only people who aren't affected are those people who are shipping products which are under the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States Department of Agriculture.
This amounts to three types of products which are processed meat products, processed poultry and processed egg products.
All other food and feed going into the States must be prior notified.
Although live animals are partially covered by USDA, in a sense of animal health requirements, they are also covered by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Therefor they will have to submit prior notice of the shipment of live animals.
Even if those live animals are not destined for the United States but are just traveling through the United States, prior notice must be supplied".
Flack says, while prior notice primarily affects commercial shipments, it also affects individuals who might be shipping food products as gifts or for some other personal use.
She says, if the food accompanies the individual, there's no problem but, if it enters the US through the mail system, prior notice is required.
For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.
