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Script: Import Permit Policies |
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Intro:
Welcome to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service podcast. Each episode
will bring you cutting edge news and information about how FSIS is working to ensure public
health protection through food safety. While we’re on the job, you can rest assured that
your meat, poultry, and processed egg products are safe, wholesome, properly labeled,
and packaged correctly. So turn up your volume and listen in.
Host:
Hello and welcome! I’m Alexandra Tarrant with FSIS and your host for this podcast
on imported food products. Before we begin today’s podcast, I want to let our listeners
know, in the coming weeks FSIS will be switching to a new digital format to ensure the
highest quality of audio and video podcasts. Please stay tuned to our podcasts, or visit
our website at www.fsis.usda.gov, for more information.
Today is the first of a four part series on the enhanced efforts the agency is taking
regarding imported food products that contain small amounts of meat, poultry and processed
egg ingredients. With me today is Dr. Jerry Elliott from the FSIS Office of International
Affairs. Jerry has been with FSIS for 20 years.
Hello Jerry, and welcome.
Guest:
Thank you Alexandra, I’m pleased to be here.
Host:
Jerry, Let’s start with some background on imported food products.
Guest:
Well, first and foremost FSIS is committed to protecting public health through
food safety and food defense. We are strengthening our efforts to ensure that all imported
food products, even those that contain small amounts of meat, poultry and processed egg
product ingredients are safe, wholesome and properly labeled to enter this country. We
have an Import Permit Guide that will help importers comply with the requirements for
bringing these foods into the United States.
Host:
What prompted FSIS to strengthen its efforts on imported food with small amounts
of meat, poultry and processed egg ingredients?
Guest:
There’ve been recent food safety incidents involving what are traditionally considered
low-risk products. For instance, there was intentional contamination of powdered milk
with melamine that was distributed worldwide. FSIS recently discovered that-for various
reasons-products containing small amounts of cooked meat, poultry or processed egg product
ingredients have entered the country without an assurance that the ingredients were from
an approved source.
Host:
So, Jerry what’s an “approved source”?
Guest:
To be from an approved source, the meat, poultry or processed egg product ingredient
must have been prepared under FSIS inspection or under a foreign inspection system that
FSIS has found to be equivalent.
Practically speaking, this means that traditionally low-risk food products that contain
meat, poultry and processed egg product ingredients imported into our country must come
from an approved source. We are paying more attention to these products.
Host:
So it’s the meat, poultry or processed egg products ingredient that goes into
making a particular food that must come from an approved source, correct?
Guest:
Yes, that’s right—the individual ingredients.
Host:
Now, when does this requirement take effect?
Guest:
Well, it’s an ongoing requirement, but the enhanced efforts started on June 22,
and the information is detailed in the Import Permit Guide I mentioned earlier that’s
on FSIS’s website. Importers of food products containing small amounts of meat, poultry,
or processed egg products will not be granted an import permit by USDA’s Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, unless FSIS first determines that the meat, poultry,
and processed egg product ingredients were prepared under specific conditions that ensure
these ingredients were not adulterated. Once that determination is made, food products
containing small amounts of these ingredients are no longer subject to FSIS’ jurisdiction;
they will then be subject to the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration.
Host:
And what about products with processed egg ingredients?
Guest:
The enhanced efforts for products containing a small amount of processed egg
products will be implemented sometime in the near future.
Host:
Okay, I believe we’ve come to the close of today’s session.
Before we finish, Jerry, you mentioned the Import Permit Guide a couple times. Can you
tell our listeners where they can find that guide.
Guest:
Sure, It’s called the “Import Permit Guide for Products with Small Amounts of
Meat and Poultry” and it’s on the FSIS Website at www.fsis.usda.gov. Type the title of
the guide into the search box on the main page and click on the link.
Host:
Great! Thanks, Jerry for coming. Alright, join us next week for more information
on imported products.
Outro:
Well, that’s all for this episode. We’d like your feedback on our podcast. Or if you
have ideas for future podcasts, send us an e-mail at
podcast@fsis.usda.gov. To learn more about food safety, try our web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov. Thanks for tuning
in.
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Last Modified: August 5, 2009 |
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