| The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulates domestic and imported meat, poultry, and egg products under statutory authority of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA), and the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA). All food products for human consumption made using a small amount of meat, poultry or processed egg product ingredients for which these ingredients were not prepared under the U.S. inspection system or a certified establishment from an approved foreign food regulatory system are not eligible to enter the United States. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulates imports of products of animal origin under statutory authority of the Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA) to ensure they do not pose a risk to U.S. animal health. Although some food products containing a small amount of meat, poultry, or processed egg product ingredient may not pose a threat to animal health and would be eligible for an APHIS-issued permit (VS Form 16-6A), they may remain ineligible for entry into the United States because these ingredients were not prepared under inspection systems designed to ensure that these ingredients are not adulterated. While FSIS statutes provide authority to exempt certain foods containing relatively small amounts of meat, poultry or processed egg product ingredients from FSIS inspection, FSIS must ensure that these ingredients are not adulterated. Accordingly, the meat, poultry, and/or processed egg product ingredient(s) used in FSIS-exempted products must be prepared under USDA/FSIS inspection or under a foreign inspection system approved by FSIS. A list of countries eligible to export meat, poultry or egg products to the United States (i.e., amenable food products generally composed of more than a small amount of meat or, poultry, or processed egg product ingredient, or is represented as a meat food product or poultry food product) is published on the FSIS web site at the following address: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Countries_Products_Eligible_for_Export.pdf The eligibility of the origin of the meat or poultry ingredient is a condition stated on the permit(s) issued by APHIS Veterinary Services (VS). Effective March 19, 2009, any permit issued on and after this date by APHIS will have the following condition included: Importer is also responsible for obtaining any required authorization from the USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Meat, poultry, or egg product ingredients used in FSIS-exempted products must be prepared under USDA, FSIS inspection or under a foreign inspection system approved by FSIS. Contact FSIS via e-mail at: permits@fsis.usda.gov This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or by telephone at: 888 287 7194 for information regarding approved foreign inspection systems and foreign establishments approved by FSIS to export to the United States. A list of countries eligible to import meat, poultry or egg products is published on the FSIS web site at the following address: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Countries_Products_Eligible_for_Export.pdf Importers must be able to provide documented evidence, upon request by FSIS, to support the origin of the meat and/or poultry ingredient used in the food product(s) identified on the APHIS permit. |
