FSIS Proposes to Allow Imports of China-Slaughtered Cooked Poultry
The Food Safety and Inspection Service is proposing to allow imports of Chinese poultry products from birds slaughtered in China, it said (here). If finalized, slaughtered poultry processed in certified Chinese establishments would be eligible for export to the U.S., subject to all other applicable requirements and re-inspection at the U.S. port of entry, FSIS said. As it currently stands, eligible products would be limited to cooked poultry due to China’s disease status, it said. The U.S. recently agreed to publish the proposed rule as part of the U.S.-China Economic Cooperation 100-Day Plan (see 1705120003). Comments on the proposed rule are due Aug. 15.
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Currently, China is eligible to export processed poultry products to the U.S. if the products are derived from poultry slaughtered in the U.S. or other countries eligible to slaughter and export poultry to the U.S., FSIS said. FSIS has reviewed China’s laws, regulations and poultry slaughter inspection system and has determined they are equivalent to U.S. standards, FSIS said.
Must be from list of certified establishments. If the regulations are finalized, China will have to certify to the U.S. the establishments that want to export slaughtered poultry products. FSIS will then verify whether the establishments certified by the Chinese government meet U.S. requirements through annual scheduled audits of the Chinese poultry inspection system, it said.
Only cooked poultry for now. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has classified China as a region affected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza subtype H5N1 and Exotic Newcastle Disease, FSIS said. As such, even if FSIS lists China as a country eligible to export slaughtered poultry to the U.S., China would only be allowed to export cooked poultry products, it said. “Since [China’s] disease status may change during the equivalence process, FSIS will follow-up with APHIS and take into consideration how changes in the animal disease status may impact the country's eligibility to export certain types of poultry products to the United States,” the agency said.
Additional requirements. If the regulations are finalized, all Chinese slaughtered poultry exported from China to the U.S. will be subject to reinspection at the U.S. ports of entry “for, but not limited to, transportation damage, product and container defects, labeling, proper certification, general condition, and accurate count,” FSIS said. “In addition, FSIS will conduct other types of re-inspection activities, such as incubation of canned products to ensure product safety and taking product samples for laboratory analysis for the detection of drug and chemical residues, pathogens, species, and product composition. Products that pass re-inspection will be stamped with the official United States mark of inspection and allowed to enter United States commerce,” it said.
Products refused entry. Products that are found not to meet U.S. requirements will be refused entry and must be exported back to the country of origin within 45 days, destroyed, or converted to animal food, depending on the violation, FSIS said.