Update to the Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures – China

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Canadian Food Inspection Agency Oct 11, 2016

11.7.3.1 General information

Protocols of understanding for conditions applicable to beef and pork have been established between Canada and China.

Exporters should be aware that, as part of their import inspection procedures, the Chinese authorities could test shipments for the presence of pathogens, parasites, heavy metals, pesticide and veterinary drug residue and other toxic and harmful substances. According to the Chinese law, shipments that are found positive will either be returned to the country of origin or destroyed. Import privileges of affected establishments will be suspended.

China has specific labelling requirements. The operator/exporter bear full responsibility to ensure that applicable labelling requirements are met (including accurate translation). Available details are provided in Annex B for information only. All concerned should also be aware that information in Annex B can be modified without prior notice.

Registration of exporters/agents: The exporters or agents should be registered with the General Administration.Annex E shows the registration details required and the format to be used by interested parties when they register. The operators of establishments eligible to export to China should send the required information directly to Chinese authorities by E-mail to: h_cert@ciq.org.cn and copy to h_cert@yahoo.com.cn and confirm with their importers that all applicable requirements have been fulfilled to the satisfaction of the Chinese authorities.

The consignee is required to obtain the license from the General Administration for entry of meat products before concluding a trade contract. Food recall measures have been put in place by Chinese authorities since 2010.

11.7.3.2 Import prohibitions or restrictions

11.7.3.2.1 Import prohibitions

Poultry meat - Avian Influenza: The importation of poultry meat is prohibited.

11.7.3.2.2 Import restrictions

a) Specific requirements:

• Water potability: records must show absence of fecal coliform (Escherichia coli) and a maximum total plate count of 100 microorganisms per ml or less.
• The level of nitrite in cured meat products must not exceed 30 ppm (measured in the finished product).

b) Segregation and traceability

• The operators of establishments where eligible and non-eligible products are produced must perform a complete clean-up before producing meat and meat products eligible for China.
• Products destined to export must be adequately segregated from non eligible products during production and remain identifiable until export takes place. All meat products for export to China must be segregated by either physical separation or by time to ensure complete segregation between eligible and ineligible products for export to China.
• Products transferred from one registered establishment to another must be accompanied by a transfer certificate confirming that it meets the applicable requirements (see Annex J – Introduction of Chapter 11).
• Cold storage facilities must dedicate and identify a specific area for products destined to China. All meat products for export to China must be produced and stored only in establishments that are eligible for export to China. The list of eligible establishments can be found on Annex 1.

c) Pork: Pork and pork products destined to China must be derived from animals raised under ractopamine-free program recognized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Please refer to section 11.6.1 and Annex T of Introduction of Chapter 11.

• Canada officially confirms that it is free from African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever, Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Swine Vesicular Disease, Teschen Disease and Rinderpest.
• The pigs from which the pork was derived shall meet the following conditions:
  1. were born and raised in Canada;
  2. did not originate from a farm involved in disease eradication program; and,
  3. did not originate from a farm that was affected with Brucella suis within the past six (6) months.
• The official veterinarian of the CFIA shall carry out the following functions:
  1. supervise the quarantine and carry out ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections according to Canadian veterinary and public health laws and regulations;
  2. certify that the slaughtered swine are healthy and that the meat and viscera are free from any signs of diseases, and have no lesions relevant to human and animal health; and,
  3. certify that the meat is wholesome and fit for human food.
• Animals slaughtered for export to China may not be slaughtered at the same time as animals not meeting the Chinese requirements. Pork destined to China may not be processed at the same time as pork not meeting the Chinese requirements. Pork not meeting the Chinese requirements must be stored in a separated area of the cold storage.

d) Beef: Only frozen deboned beef meat derived from Under Thirty Month (UTM) cattle is allowed for export to China. Beef offal and edible tallow are not allowed for export.

"Deboned beef exports to China" refers to deboned skeletal muscle and its products. Deboned skeletal muscle excludes cheek muscle, head muscle, diaphragm muscle, ground meat and mechanically separated meat (MSM); "products" refers to beef products made from deboned skeletal muscle which meet the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements.

The following tissues are ineligible for export: tonsils, distal ileum, brain, eyes, spinal cord, skull, vertebral column and dorsal root ganglia, which were removed in a hygienic manner in accordance with CFIA regulations to avoid contamination of products intended for export to China.

The cattle from which the de-boned beef is derived for export to China must meet the following requirements:

1. The cattle are born and fed in Canada.
2. The cattle do not originate from farms under quarantine or transportation restrictions, in accordance with the Canadian Health of Animals Regulations.
3. The cattle are not members of the known birth or feed cohort of a BSE case
4. Each animal has a unique identity, the farm of origin (place of birth) can be traced, and the cattle should be slaughtered less than 30 months of age.
5. Cattle were not subjected to a stunning process, prior to slaughter, with a device injecting compressed air or gas into the cranial cavity or to a pithing process.
6. Products intended for export to China are derived from cattle that have passed ante-mortem and post mortem inspection and have been found fit for human consumption.

e) Establishments approval process for beef and pork products:

The slaughtering and processing plants and federally registered cold storage facilities exporting pork and beef to the People's Republic of China shall meet the requirements of the Meat Inspection Act and the requirements of the Chinese veterinary hygiene and public health regulations which apply to Chinese meat processing plants in the relevant Chinese laws and regulations. Prior approval of slaughter, processing and cold storage establishments is required for pork and beef products to comply with the provisions of the applicable protocol. The approval procedure is as follows:

• The CFIA will provide the Chinese Inspection and Quarantine Service (CIQ-SA) with a list of establishment(s) wishing to be approved to export to China. Each establishments on the presented list must provide:
  • A completed Annex F: Application for Export of Meat and Meat Products to P. R. China
  • If a cold storage facility, a completed Annex G: Declaration of cold storage
  • If a cold storage facility, a completed Annex H: Form of storage capacity of meat establishments
• CIQ-SA will determine which establishment(s) will be inspected.
• CIQ-SA will inform the CFIA of its intention to inspect establishments and will require CFIA's assistance to facilitate the inspection.
• CIQ-SA will perform the inspection and will provide the CFIA with the inspection reports of the establishments visited. CIQ-SA will establish a committee of experts to review the inspection reports and will inform the CFIA, in a timely fashion, of the list of approved establishments and, if applicable, will advise of further action to be taken in the case of the establishments that were not approved. As deemed necessary, the CFIA will review establishments, prior or after CIQ-SA inspections, and will make recommendation to CIQ-SA as appropriate.

In consultation with interested parties, the CFIA will coordinate applications and the request for inspection by Chinese authorities. Applicants will have to cover the costs related to the Chinese inspection. The CFIA will also transmit to all concerned the result of inspection upon receipt from China.

The CFIA will inspect the establishments as necessary, both before and after CIQ-SA inspections, and will make suitable recommendations to CIQ-SA.

Refer to Annex 1 for the list of approved establishments.

Note: The Chinese authorities reserve the right to inspect approved establishments at any time. Should the inspection reveal that the situation at the establishment is not in conformity with the information provided in the inspection questionnaire completed as part of the approval process, the Chinese authorities will suspend export privileges of the establishment.

11.7.3.3 Specific or additional inspection procedures

Nil

11.7.3.4 Additional certification

1. Only form CFIA/ACIA 4159 needs to be completed for shipments destined to China. Form CFIA/ACIA 1454 need not be completed. Part 2 of form CFIA/ACIA 4159 must be sent to Ottawa in lieu of form CFIA/ACIA 1454.

Note:

1. A new version of Form CFIA/ACIA 4159 is available to CFIA inspectors.
   • This updated version is a PDF fillable form that must be printed on legal size paper.
   • The batch number(s) should be either on certificate CFIA/ACIA 4159 or CFIA letter head signed and stamped by the same veterinarian signing the export certificate.
   • When the PDF fillable electronic version is completed by the applicant, it must be printed on blank paper, the CFIA/ACIA 5744.
   • Form CFIA/ACIA 5744 contains security features and must be ordered specifically for this purpose. Refer to 11. 3. (5) (b) for details on ordering export certificates.
2. Some ports of entry in China require that shipments be accompanied with a Certificate of Origin. Annex C can be issued at the request of the operator/exporter for that purpose.

11.7.3.5 Special marking and packaging requirements

The product shall be wrapped in new packaging materials complying with international hygienic standards. The name and weight of the product, the name of the manufacturer, the inspection and quarantine certificate number for the product, the storage conditions, the date of production and the registration number of the manufacturer approved byCIQ-SA shall appear with the meat inspection legend on the label of the package. The shipping container must bear the export stamp confirming that the export inspection was considered satisfactory.

A plastic liner must be used to package pork products. Stockinets are not allowed to be used to package products destined to China.

During the storage and transportation, the product destined for the People's Republic of China shall meet the Canadian and Chinese veterinary hygienic and public health requirements, and shall be prevented from being contaminated by poisonous and harmful substances. After loading of the product, the container shall be sealed with an official seal under the control of a CFIA officer and the seal number shall appear on the inspection and quarantine certificate.

11.7.3.6 Other requirements

11.7.3.6.1 Notification of the issuance of export certificate

The Chinese authorities require direct notification from the CFIA of certain information on shipments of meat products certified for export to assist them in their determination of the integrity of the export certificates received in China.

The following procedures must be implemented in response to the request received from the Chinese authorities:

1. The applicant will complete the electronic Excel version of the table "Weekly List of Export Certificates Issued for China" shown in Annex D, available from the Area Program Specialist- Export, and at the end of the week will send them by email at the following address: mpdexportchina@inspection.gc.ca with cc to the applicant's inspector (the one assigning the certificate).

   Note: if a certificate must be cancelled, there is a specific tab on Annex D for this purpose. This is to be used only for certificates which have been submitted to the mpdxportchina@inspection.gc.ca address

2. The applicant will provide a hard copy of Annex D which was sent to mpdexportchina@inspection.gc.ca initialed by the designated establishment's contact person to the applicant's inspector the same day for verification and record purposes.
3. The applicant's inspector will verify the information contained in Annex D received and document the verification conducted by putting his/her initial and the date of verification on Annex D. The copy of Annex D will be kept on file with part 3 of the export certificates. If a discrepancy is identified the inspector will inform the applicant and the Area Program Specialist - Export, so that appropriate corrective action can be taken by the applicant.

   Note: the verification can be performed the next working day following the receipt of Annex D, when the certificates are assembled and sent to the Supervisor, Import control and Data Information Center (see below).

4. Under routine procedures, the applicant's inspector collects all certificates issued and sends the applicable copy to Ottawa (see section 11.3(a)(i)). In the case of export certificates issued for products destined to China, the applicant's inspector will collect part 2 of form CFIA/ACIA 4159 and mail them separately by the next working day following the receipt of Annex D to the Supervisor of the Import Control and Data Information Center at the following address:

   Import Control Division
   Camelot Court, 59 Camelot Drive
   Ottawa, Ontario
   K1A 0Y9

   Attention: Supervisor, Import Control and Data Information Center

   Note: In case of issuance of replacement certificate, a photocopy of part 3 of the certificate replaced must be attached to part 2 of the replacement certificate and the corresponding annex, as applicable, to clearly identify the link between the two documents when received by the Import Control Division (ICD). In case of cancellation of a certificate, a photocopy of part 3 of the certificate bearing the word "void" must be sent to the ICD.

5. The information received from the applicant will be forwarded to the Chinese authorities by the Meat Programs Division (MPD) as per their request. In order to prevent delays at the border, the applicant bears full responsibility for providing accurate and timely information as it will be used by the Chinese authorities for import control.
6. If shipment is held due to wrong information submitted to Chinese authorities, Annex D should not be resubmitted to the MPD; instead the applicant's inspector and Area Program Specialist - Export should be contacted.
7. In case exporting establishments determine that a change needs to be made in the information submitted onAnnex D to China, they should send their request to Area Program Specialist - Export for review. The following information should be included in the request: the certificate number, the information that was submitted on Annex D, the new information, and the date of submission of Annex D to MPDExportChina@inspection.gc.ca account. The Area Program Specialist - Export will then forward acceptable requests by email to MPDExportChina@inspection.gc.ca account. Chinese authorities requested that all the correction requests regarding Annex D should be sent by MPDExportChina@inspection.gc.ca account.