Re-inspection of Meat at the Canada-US Border

James M. Laws, P.Ag.Executive Director

Canadian Meat CouncilTransportation Border Working Group Meeting

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada November 2, 2011

Canadian Meat Council

• National industry trade association representing federally-inspected meat processors of beef, pork, poultry, veal and lamb since 1919. •www.cmc-cvc.com

Canada’s Meat Industry• Total revenue from goods manufactured -

$21.4 billion (number one in food industry)• Total value of meat exports - $3.8 billion• Over 1,100 establishments• Over 67,500 employees• Largest food industry and the 11th largest

manufacturing industry behind motor vehicles, petroleum products and sawmill products

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Pork Statistics 2010• Canadian federally inspected hog slaughter –

20.3 million head• Canada’s pork production – 1.93 million

tonnes• Canada’s pork exports – 1.1 million tonnes• Export value total– $2.77 billion, • Export value to the USA $951 million• Canada’s pork imports- 185,000 tonnes • Import value- $700 million mostly from USA• Top Canadian pork export markets – USA,

Japan, Russia, Australia, Mexico

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Beef Statistics 2010• Canadian federally inspected beef slaughter – 3.2

million head• Canada’s beef production – 1.17 million tonnes• Canada’s beef exports – 408 thousand tonnes• Export value – $1.42 billion• Export value to USA $ 1.03 billion• Canada’s beef imports- 179,000 tonnes • Import value- $902 million, $733 million from USA• Top Canadian beef export markets – USA, Mexico,

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Why is the Canadian Meat Council Speaking Here Today?

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Prime Minister Harper and President Obama Feb 4, 2011

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Re-inspection of meat at the Canada-U.S. border should be eliminated• Meat from the United States that is exported to Canada

is already inspected by USDA in accordance with Canadian Food Inspection Agency requirements and the meat is marked with “US Inspected and Passed by Department of Agriculture” legend.

Re-inspection of meat at the Canada-U.S. border should be eliminated• Canadian meat exported to the U.S. is similarly inspected

by the CFIA to the food safety and animal health standards of the U.S. and marked with the Meat Inspection Legend.

Canadian Federally Inspected Plants

A Canadian Food Inspection Agency veterinarian and inspection staff are present at all times during slaughter.

A Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspection staff is present in processing plants.

Industry employs full time quality control managers.

Every animal is inspected.

Re-inspection of meat at the Canada-U.S. border should be eliminated• The border inspections of Canadian and American meat

are merely “re-inspections” of USDA and CFIA inspected meat. Re-inspecting meat in its final package in a box in a truck is not nearly as worthwhile as inspecting meat while it is being processed in the facility.

Re-inspection of meat at the Canada-U.S. border should be eliminated

• Performing random inspections of trucks for “contraband” or other illegal cargo is to be expected- for all trucks – not just meat trucks.

• Stopping each and every meat truck at the border is not necessary- especially when the shipment comes from a supplier who is C-TPAT certified.

• “We just got our SQF final audit (went very well) and our custom commercial invoices are already going electronically to FSIS. “

Re-inspection of meat at the Canada-U.S. border should be eliminated

• Redirecting Canadian meat trucks to U.S. “inspection centres” also wastes time and fuel and causes extra wear and tear on vehicles through more mileage.

• “Every driver loses 2-4 hours of driving time having to report to the I-house. If it is busy they wait for the inspector to get free. Losing that road time means that, once the driver hits his 11-12 hours behind the wheel, paid rest time applies for at least 10 more hours. Cost per hour is roughly $100.00. “

SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION AND LOSS OF SHELF LIFEIf products are sampled at the Inspection House a supplier could lose 3-10 days of a typical 30 day shelf life. Fresh meats that get delayed can be refused by the customer e.g. some customers in the Southern USA has very tight quality control criteria and will refuse products that don't meet their very tight production specs for deli products.

Re-inspection of meat at the Canada-U.S. border should be eliminated• Both Canada and the U.S. currently approve the

establishments that are eligible to export to the other country. Periodic audits of these approved establishments are performed, and export eligibility can be revoked at any time should the establishment not satisfy the other country’s standards.

• 129 Federally registered establishments in Canada are approved facilities for inspection of imported meat products from the United States of America. Of those 129 establishments 54 are meat processing establishments and 75 are cold storage facilities.

Canada’s System of Meat Testing is Equivalent to US

Canada’s System of Meat Testing is Equivalent to US

Canada’s Listeria mono Control in Meat is Equivalent to US

Canada’s Meat Inspection Act

Canada’s Meat Inspection Regulations

Canada’s Meat Inspection Regulations

Canada’s Meat Inspection Regulations

• Federal Meat Inspection Act Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), FSIS provides inspection for all meat products sold in interstate commerce, and reinspects imported products to ensure that they meet U.S. food safety standards.

• In the statute, the relevant section is 21 U.S.C. 620• Federal Meat Inspection Act• Title 21 - Food and Drugs• Chapter 12 - Meat Inspection

• SUBCHAPTER I - INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS;

ADULTERATION AND MISBRANDING

§620. Imports.• No carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat or meat food products of cattle,

sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines which are capable of use as human food, shall be imported into the United States if such articles are adulterated or misbranded and unless they comply with all the inspection, building, construction standards, and all other provisions of this chapter and regulations issued thereunder applicable to such articles in commerce within the United States. No such carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat or meat food products shall be imported into the United States unless the livestock from which they were produced was slaughtered and handled in connection with slaughter in accordance with the Act of August 27, 1958 (72 Stat. 862; 7 U.S.C. 1901-1906). All such imported articles shall, upon entry into the United States, be deemed and treated as domestic articles subject to the other provisions of this chapter and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.): Provided, That they shall be marked and labeled as required by such regulations for imported articles: Provided further, That nothing in this section shall apply to any individual who purchases meat or meat products outside the United States for his own consumption except that the total amount of such meat or meat products shall not exceed fifty pounds.

(f) Inspection and other standards; applicability, enforcement, etc.; certifications• Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat, and

meat food products of cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines, capable of use as human food, offered for importation into the United States shall be subject to the inspection, sanitary, quality, species verification, and residue standards applied to products produced in the United States. Any such imported meat articles that do not meet such standards shall not be permitted entry in to the United States. The Secretary shall enforce this provision through (1) the imposition of random inspections for such species verification and for residues, and (2) random sampling and testing of internal organs and fat of the carcasses for residues at the point of slaughter by the exporting country in accordance with methods approved by the Secretary. Each foreign country from which such meat articles are offered for importation into the United States shall obtain a certification issued by the Secretary stating that the country maintains a program using reliable analytical methods to ensure compliance with the United States standards for residues in such meat articles. No such meat article shall be permitted entry into the United States from a country for which the Secretary has not issued such certification. The Secretary shall periodically review such certifications and shall revoke any certification if the Secretary determines that the country involved is not maintaining a program that uses reliable analytical methods to ensure compliance with United States standards for residues in such meat articles. The consideration of any application for a certification under this subsection and the review of any such certification, by the Secretary, shall include the inspection of individual establishments to ensure that the inspection program of the foreign country involved is meeting such United States standards.

WHEREAS the Government of Canada has entered into a Free Trade Agreement with the Government of the United States of America in order :• to strengthen the unique and enduring friendship

between the two countries and their peoples as befitting great trading partners,

• to strengthen Canada’s national identity while at the same time protecting vital national characteristics and qualities,

• to promote productivity, employment, financial stability and the improvement of living standards,

• to establish a climate of greater predictability for Canadians to plan and invest with confidence and to compete more effectively in the United States and global markets, to build on Canada’s rights and obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and other multilateral and bilateral instruments of cooperation,

• to contribute to the harmonious development and expansion of world trade and provide a catalyst to broader international cooperation.

FSIS Import Re-inspection

• After an incoming shipment has met U.S. Customs and Border Protection and APHIS requirements, the shipment must be reinspected by FSIS at an approved import inspection facility.

FSIS import inspectors first check the documents to assure the shipment is properly certified by the foreign country. Inspectors next examine each shipment for general condition and labeling and then conduct the inspection assignments.

Aliments Trans Gras Inc.

ALIMENTS

LUCYPORC

BOUVRYEXPORTS

Canadian Meat Council Regular Members

Viandes Sherrington

Canadian Meat Council Associate Members