THE LIST OF THE BASIC QUESTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS USED BY THE RUSSIAN VETERINARY EXPERTS FOR THE JOINT INSPECTIONS OF THE US POULTRY PROCESSING AND COLD STORAGE FACILITIES

1. General Requirements
    

   1. Subjects for inspections are poultry processing and cold storage facilities that have received a permit of the US Federal State Service to supply their produce for export, the ones that are under its constant control and that have received the federal registration number.

   2. The enterprises should exercise control over implementation of the requirements of the Veterinary Certificate for the exports of poultry meat to the Russian Federation.

   3. Representatives of the State Veterinary Services of the Russian Federation and the USA carry out inspection of the poultry processing and cold storage facilities with the result of the inspection being formalized as the Act of the established form (see Attachment).

   4. The Federal Veterinary Inspectors of the Russian Federation and the United States when arriving at the enterprise get acquainted with its operations; the volume of production; the availability of the copies of the veterinary certificates issued for the poultry produce shipped to Russia; the results of the clinical inspection of poultry lots (including the lots used to manufacture the products for Russia); the sampling procedures to conduct lab tests for the product that have been shipped and are prepared for shipping; the primary documents that were used or are to be used for issuing the veterinary certificate.

   5. The official veterinary supervising the enterprise must possess the information on the epizootic status of the poultry farms that are supplying poultry for slaughter and processing as well as the information on the results of the lab tests for the poultry product shipped to Russia with regards to the quality and safety parameters and provide the information pertaining to the issues mentioned above to the inspecting officials (upon their request).

   6. During the inspection it is necessary to pay attention to the compliance with the veterinary, sanitary and hygienic standards, temperature and moisture regimes in the operation rooms and cold store cells, it is also necessary to make sure that the enterprises utilize a common technological chain for poultry slaughter, processing, chilling, freezing, and operate under the constant supervision of the official representatives of the Federal Veterinary Service.

• It is not required that all production processes be performed within one facility.  It has been agreed that products may move between approved establishments in order to complete all production processes provided that temperature records are maintained.  Should poultry meat be processed at 2 or more enterprises, the official Transfer Certificate (FSIS Form 9450-B) must be utilized and readily available for inspectors to review.

• Chilled poultry meat may be held for more than 48 hours if maintained at 40 F or below and provided that the rooms are maintained in a sanitary manner.  During further processing or packaging, the internal temperature may raise to a maximum of 55 F, provided that immediately after packing the poultry is refrigerated to promptly lower the temperature of the product to 40 F or less.

2. Basic requirements to the territory and buildings of the enterprise
    

   1. Each official enterprise should operate and be maintained in the condition that is sufficient for preventing the creation of un-sanitary conditions, and that ensures that the product is not adulterated.  The territory of the enterprise should be maintained clean.
       

   2. The grounds around the establishment must be maintained to prevent conditions that could lead to unsanitary conditions or adulteration of the product.  Buildings of the enterprise, including facilities, shops and rooms, should be of solid construction, be maintained in good condition, and be of sufficient size necessary for processing, handling and storing the product in such a way so that it will not lead to the product’s adulteration or creation of unsanitary conditions.

• It is not required that driveways and loading areas have paved surfaces or that no trash containers be located in the product loading or shipping area.  It has been agreed that the driveways and loading areas of U.S. poultry facilities exporting to the Russian Federation will be covered with hard-packed surfaces (i.e., gravel).  The surface of the driveway or and loading areas must allow for cleansing (i.e., hot water) without the creation of conditions that result in plant insanitation.  Russian Federation officials have indicated that the presence of standing water or mud is considered an indication of poor drainage and unsanitary conditions.  Trash containers may be located in the product loading or shipping area, provided they are equipped with lids.

3. Product must be protected from adulteration during processing, handling, storage, loading, and unloading at and during transportation from official establishments.
    

4. The layout of the production shops, units, departments, auxiliary premises, inventory departments of the enterprise should provide not only for the adequate technological process flow, but also for conducting veterinary sanitary control over the quality of the raw material, the manufactured produce, over washing, cleaning, and disinfecting.  Technological equipment layout in the production facilities should also exclude unsanitary conditions and the adulteration of product.

• There must be physical separation between the area of receiving live birds and shipping finished product.  There should also be different driveways leading away from these areas.  These driveways may merge inside the premise of the establishment where there is a common gate for entrance and exit.  Russian Federation inspectors expect to witness that there is no contact between the place of storage, poultry unloading, waste removal and the shipping area for final product.

5. The poultry meat slaughter and processing enterprise should incorporate the following units (areas) and departments that require successive and isolated disposition: poultry veterinary examination and acceptance; poultry hanging on the conveyor hooks, electric stunning; slaughtering and bleeding of poultry carcasses; heat treatment, removing the feathers; evisceration (removing the guts), poultry carcass washing; poultry carcass chilling; processing sections (butting the bird into pieces), sorting, placing into containers, and packaging; cold storage facility to chill, to hold-up (temporary storage), to freeze and store poultry meat and ready-to-cook produce (if any); sanitary processing of packing containers; technological waste processing.
   
   The rooms and compartments used for processing, handling and storing the product destined for food purposes should be separated and distinct from the rooms and units used for processing, handling and storing the product not destined for food purposes to the extent necessary to prevent adulteration and creation of anti-sanitary conditions.
    

6. The enterprise should be provided with hot and cold portable water, sewage system, artificial lighting, and ventilation to ensure that the sanitary requirements are met.
    

7. Premises of the enterprise should be provided with the hygienic detergents and equipped with devices to wash, disinfect and dry hands.
    

8. Walls, floors, and ceilings in the production premises of the enterprise should be built from solid water resistant materials, and be clean and sanitized since it is necessary to prevent adulteration of the product and creation of the anti-sanitary conditions.
    

9. To collect trash, production premises should have trash receptacles constructed and maintained in a manner that protects against the creation of unsanitary conditions and the adulteration of product.

• It has been agreed that all trash receptacles will be equipped with lids.

10. Sewage should be removed into the sewage system separate from all the other sewage systems, or through the other channels sufficient for preventing the return of the sewage to places used for processing, handling and storing the product.
     

11. Change rooms, lavatories should be separated from premises and units used for processing, storing or handling of the produce, they should also be maintained in good condition.
     

12. Enterprises must implement a program on measures carried out in respect to the sanitary treatment of production premises and technological equipment and on fighting insects and rodents.  All persons must adhere to proper hygienic practices.
     

13. Preparations for sanitary treatment, detergents and other chemicals used at the plant should be used, handled and stored in a manner so that the product is not adulterated and unsanitary conditions are not created.

3. Requirements for the pre-slaughter poultry inspection
    

   1. Domestic poultry intended for slaughter must arrive at the plant from poultry farms (territories) free from infectious diseases listed in the approved veterinary certificate.  Each poultry consignment must be accompanied by the document issued by an accredited veterinary confirming its health with respect to the infectious diseases.  The State Veterinary submits to the inspector who is to sign the certificate the data on poultry infectious disease status in the state on a monthly basis.
       

   2. The document to accompany the poultry consignment arriving for slaughter at the poultry processing facility, besides the confirmation of its health, should contain the information to confirm that the poultry did not receive the feeds containing hormones, antibiotics and other preparations for growth stimulation unregistered in the Russian Federation for those purposes.
       

   3. The poultry pre-slaughter inspection should be carried out by the U.S. officially authorized federal veterinary working at the plant.

• It has been agreed that FSIS Form 9061-2 will be the official antemortem inspection record and that additional information will be added to the remarks category of FSIS Form 9061-2.  That information will include 1) the date of shipping, 2) the results of the antemortem inspection, 3) the identity of the grower and corresponding identification number and 4) information related to secondary examinations if the examination takes place 12 hours or more after slaughter.  Continuation Sheet, if needed, may be used for the additional information.

4. The poultry should pass the pre-slaughter inspection within a 24-hour time period of the date it arrives at the plant.
    

5. When appropriate, the inspection of birds perished in route to the plant will be carried out in a laboratory. 

• Should the number of dead-on-arrival (DOA) birds exceed one (1) percent on a flock basis or a rising trend in DOAs is noted, the following procedures will be activated:
   

  • The plant manager must notify an APHIS-accredited veterinarian.  The APHIS-accredited veterinarian will evaluate the factors that may be related to the increase in DOAs.  If the increase could possibly be related to an animal health issue rather than the stress of loading, extreme temperatures, other transportation problems, etc., the veterinarian will visit the establishment to necropsy the birds and collect tissue samples as appropriate.  Alternatively, the veterinarian may direct a trained technician to collect tissue samples.  If necessary, representative samples will be submitted to a State Laboratory or other comparable laboratory for analysis.  Necropsy findings and laboratory results, if conducted, will be documented in the antemortem records.

  If the veterinarian determines there is no reason to investigate the DOA birds because the probable cause was stress of loading, extreme temperatures, other transportation problems or some other known problem other than animal health, the veterinarian or the technician will document the incident in the antemortem records.
  
  The accredited veterinarian will review the antemortem records for accuracy once every two months.

6. Poultry should be sent for slaughter after the pre-slaughter inspection is over only if it is healthy and if it does not have any disease signs.
    

7. Control must be in place over the compliance of technological and hygienic regimes when stunning, slaughtering and de-blooding, heat treatment, and feather removal is in progress.

4. Requirements for organizing and conducting the control of the possible risk for bacteria contamination in the technological process of the carcass treatment, poultry meat processing and storing.
   
   Assessing the risk for possible contamination should be carried out with respect to the following technological operations:
    

   1. Inspection control (visual and random laboratory, if necessary) over the quality of removing poultry viscera is aimed at excluding bacterial contamination of the internal and external surfaces of the bird carcass.  Special attention should be paid at the technological operations of cutting out the cloaca, opening the abdominal cavity, removing internal organs from the carcasses so as not to break the intestinal tract and to prevent its content leaking on the carcasses and equipment.
       

   2. Inspection control with respect to the organizing and conducting the veterinary sanitary review that has to be aimed at preventing manufacturing the food products of poor quality and products that are dangerous from the veterinary sanitary standpoint.   The workstation of the veterinary sanitary expert should be located on the part of the line after the internal organs have been removed, and it should be equipped properly.  When conducting veterinary sanitary review the expert should examine the surfaces of the poultry carcass, internal organs (heart, liver, spleen, ovaries, testicles, lungs and intestines).  If pathological changes or contamination have been detected on the carcass, internal organs, and serous membranes – the carcass is removed from the line together with its internal organs and subjected to additional examination.  If pathologic-anatomic examination does not result in a diagnosis the carcass and the internal organs should be referred to the laboratory to conduct testing.  Daily the results of the veterinary sanitary review should be registered in the log book (check the log book for the data referring to the results of the veterinary sanitary review and lab tests, and clarify what measures are taken when diseases have been detected).  Processing (cut-up) of poultry until the veterinary sanitary review is over is prohibited.  Based on the results of the review the official veterinary makes a veterinary sanitary assessment with regards to the use of the poultry meat and offal.  Poultry meat and offal condemned and considered unfit for human consumption should be collected in special containers and sent for disposal.
       

   3.  Inspection control over the quality of the poultry carcass washing.  Before cooling the poultry carcasses should undergo the preliminary washing with water, which should remove surface contamination.
       

   4. Inspection control with respect to the organizing and conducting the technological operations when chilling the poultry carcasses.
      
      Attention should be paid at the water quality, temperature regimes for cooling, the use of anti-microbial preparations, including the chlorine based ones with the safe concentration level not exceeding 20-50 parts per million, at the surface bacterial contamination of the poultry carcasses and the temperature inside the breast muscle tissue of the poultry carcass as well as the methodology applied, the order and frequency of the tests conducted to determine the above mentioned indices.  Technological operations should provide for the fast cooling of the carcass so that the temperature in the deep breast muscle should go down to 4 degrees Celsius (39-40 degrees Fahrenheit) and ensure its good quality.  All the necessary documentation in reference to the cooling processes should be kept at the plant and be available for the inspectors.  The chilled product should be placed in the cold storage at the temperature not exceeding 4 degrees Celsius.

• It has been agreed that poultry processing establishments will maintain records of compliance with FSIS requirements for the use of all antimicrobial substances, with verification by FSIS on the same frequency as verification activities for the use of chlorine.  Instrumental (quantitative) testing will occur either in the make-up water or at the point where treated water is injected into the chiller.  For facilities not using chlorine or any other antimicrobial substances, a signed statement shall be kept on file. (see attached form)

5.  Inspection controls over the technological operations of the poultry carcass cut-up should be conducted in reference of the temperature-moisture regimes and sanitary condition of the production premises, technological equipment, instruments, working clothes and hands of workers. Poultry carcass cut-up operations must be carried out in the premises separate from the slaughter unit with the air temperature not exceeding 10 degrees Celsius or utilize alternative procedures so that product is not adulterated and unsanitary conditions are not created.  Specific equipment assembled into a conveyor line must be used.  Poultry carcasses must arrive to be cut only after they have been cooled and the water has drained from them.

• A solid wall separating evisceration and cutting activities, with air temperature in the cut-up not exceeding ten degrees Celsius is not necessary, if the sanitary norms of the plant ensure that cross contamination across technological lines does not occur.  Product temperature must be maintained at 40 F or less except during further processing or packaging, the internal temperature may rise to a maximum of 55 F, provided that immediately after packing, the poultry is refrigerated to promptly lower the temperature of the product to 40 F or less.

6. Inspection control over sorting, placing into containers and packing should be aimed at preventing the product contamination.  After the cut-up poultry parts should be placed in the specially designated packaging that meets the hygienic requirements.
    

7. Inspection control with respect to the safety when mechanical meat separation is carried out at every stage of its production should exclude bacterial contamination of the raw material arriving to be processed as well as bacterial contamination of the manufactured product.  When mechanical meat separation is carried out before the poultry carcasses are sent to be pressed they must be examined with reference to the following:

Interim storing period (must be maintained under appropriate temperature and sanitary conditions after the completion of the technological slaughter process);
Quality – poorly de-blooded carcasses are not allowed, as well as carcasses with the skin, muscle or fat tissue color changed, too thin, frozen twice, with the temperature inside the deep muscle tissue exceeding 4 degrees Celsius (39-40 degrees Fahrenheit);
The presence of foreign substances and metal in the product.

When the technological process is completed, the produce must be packed, placed into boxes that are being labeled and sent to the freezing chamber.  To manufacture mechanically separated meat only the raw material produced at approved plants and that meet all the safety requirements.

• It is not a requirement that mechanically de-boned meat (MDM) be produced only from meat produced at the same establishment.  It has been agreed that MDM establishments approved for export to the Russian Federation can produce MDM only from birds slaughtered at the same establishment or sourced from other establishments approved to export poultry to the Russian Federation.  Approved establishments cannot source from non-approved establishments at any time.
   

• It has been agreed that a metal detector is not required to be installed on the line.  Instead, each approved establishment producing MDM will have a well-documented quality assurance program that assures that no metal or other foreign substance is present.

8. Inspection control with respect to the organizing and conducting laboratory tests of the poultry meat and poultry meat products exported to the Russian Federation in reference to all of the quality and safety indices is conducted in accordance with the effective Russian veterinary and sanitary rules and requirements.

• Each slaughter establishment producing poultry for the Russian Federation will submit a 25 gram deep-muscle sample for Listeria monocytogenes testing on a quarterly basis.  Upon full implementation of the new AMS-verified laboratory program, the testing will be performed in an AMS-verified laboratory.  During the interim period, the testing will be performed in laboratories currently participating in other AMS laboratory verification programs or in laboratories that are ISO 17025 certified.  Test results should be on file by July 25, 2003.
   

• Each slaughter establishment producing poultry for the Russian Federation will generate a statement of guarantee that their poultry meet the RF’s radionuclide standards after documenting the results of the following survey program on an annual basis:

  • By July 25, 2003, each establishment will submit a sample.  The sample will consist of a composite of leg quarters from 5 randomly selected birds, each bird being selected on separate days.  The composite sample will be submitted to the appropriate State University radiation research facility for the total activity level screen using beta and gamma detection instruments.
     

  • A report documenting the total activity in Becquerels/ kilogram (Bq/ kg) for each sample will be generated at the University radiation monitoring facility.  This report will then be sent to the submitting establishment showing the total beta activity and gamma activity for each sample.
     

  • A total beta and gamma activity screening measurement assures compliance with RF permissible limits of radionuclides (beta < 80 BK/kg and gamma < 180 BK/kg).
     

• With regard to antibiotics:

  • The Flock Health certificate or other confirming documentation will be on file to confirm that the producers supplying birds to the approved establishment have complied with the FDA prohibition on the use of chloramphenicol [levomycin] in food producing animals, including poultry.  Upon full implementation of the new AMS-verified laboratory program, the testing will be performed on a quarterly basis in an AMS-verified laboratory.  During the interim period, the testing will be performed in laboratories currently participating in other AMS laboratory verification programs or in laboratories that are ISO 17025 certified.  Test results should be on file by October 1, 2003.
     

  • If bacitracin, virginiamycin, or flavomycin is used, testing will be conducted every month in an AMS-verified laboratory to ensure that residue levels do not exceed Russian requirements.  During the interim period, while the AMS-verified laboratory program is being implemented, the testing will be performed in laboratories currently participating in other AMS laboratory verification programs or in laboratories that are ISO 17025 certified.  If none of these compounds are used, this will be indicated on the Flock Health certificate or other confirming document.
     

  • If any antibiotics are used for therapeutic purposes, the antibiotic will be indicated on the Flock Health certificate or other confirming documentation.  Testing for residues of the listed antibiotic will be performed at an AMS-verified laboratory for each treated flock.  During the interim period while the AMS-verified laboratory program is being implemented, the testing will be performed in laboratories currently participating in other AMS laboratory verification programs or in laboratories that are ISO 17025 certified.
     

  • Because neither grizyn nor hormones are approved for use in the United States or available on the market, it has been agreed that no additional testing will be necessary.
     

• With regard to organic arsenicals:

  • If organic arsenicals are used, testing will be conducted every month in a USDA verified laboratory.  If organic arsenicals are not used, testing will be conducted on an annual basis in a USDA verified laboratory.  Initial test results should be on file by October 1, 2003.

9. Inspection control over compliance with temperature-moisture regimes under the conditions of interim storage and poultry meat shipment as over compliance with the requirements of the veterinary certificate.
   
   To ensure the correct conducting of the refrigerating processing and storing of the    poultry meat it is necessary to maintain refrigerating chambers and their equipment in proper technical and sanitary condition (the chambers must be equipped with instruments and devices for monitoring that register the temperature and be equipped with forced ventilation if needed).  A separate refrigerating chamber or a specially isolated section in the general refrigerating chamber must be designated at the cold storage facilities for the interim storage of the poultry produce exported for Russia.  The air in the refrigerating chambers should not have alien odor.  There should not be excessive snow and ice crusts in the refrigerating and freezing chambers, flyovers, technological refrigerating equipment, ceilings, walls, floors, doors, and packages with the produce.  The freezing process should not exceed 72 hours.  Freezing is to be carried out in the refrigerators with the specialized equipment for freezing having separate chambers with forced ventilation.  Temperature inside the chamber should not be higher than minus 29 degrees Celsius (minus 20 degrees F).  The freezing process should reach the temperature of minus 18 Celsius in the middle of the box with the produce (located in the center of the tray with piled boxes), and the whole process should not exceed 72 hours.  Storing of the frozen poultry meat should be carried out in the refrigerating chambers at the temperature not exceeding minus 18 degrees Celsius (when inspecting it is necessary to check the temperature in the storage chambers and inside the frozen product as well as to place the request for getting the thermograms).  It is not permitted to ship out the packaged product if it has been temperature abused, if it has been defrosted and if it is covered by the snow or ice mass.  Transportation of the produce is to be carried in refrigerator trucks with the air temperature not exceeding minus 18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit).  USDA should ensure that the transportation vehicles and loading conditions comply with the hygienic requirements of the exporting country.  The temperature regime must be controlled over the entire movement of the product.  At the point of final destination it has to be recorded what was the temperature of the product arriving to be placed in a cold storage, or a vessel, or another vehicle, and what was the temperature inside the vehicle.  Internal surface of the auto-refrigerating vehicle should not impact the organoleptic properties of the poultry meat or exercise the harmful influence on the human health, it should be easy to clean, wash and disinfect.

• It is not a requirement that refrigerators and freezers be completely dedicated to product for export to the Russian Federation. The following criteria has been agreed:

  • Refrigerators and freezers with one common chamber (room) shall clearly distinguish between storing different kinds of packed products, which shall prevent direct contact with other products.  Other products in the freezer must originate from countries and regions characterized as free from OIE List “A” animal and bird diseases.
     

  • Refrigerators and freezers with several chambers (rooms), separate chambers (room) shall be dedicated to storing poultry meat intended for export to Russia. It is permitted to store it with the same type products intended for sales in the United States.
     

• It is not a requirement that automated devices be used to measure humidity and temperature levels.  It is mandatory that refrigerators and freezers be equipped with temperature measuring instruments (i.e., thermometer).  It has been agreed that humidity measuring instruments may be either permanent or portable.  Temperature and humidity records must be maintained for coolers and freezers.  Record keeping may be automated or hand-written and logs will be available for the previous 12 months.
   

• It is not a requirement that temperature-recording devices be used in transportation vehicles.  In the case of transportation of product between establishments, product temperature records will be maintained at the destination establishment to confirm that product temperatures were maintained during transit.  Record keeping may be automated or hand-written.

10. Inspection control over the quality of the sanitary treatment and disinfecting.  When conducting inspection control it is necessary to pay attention to the way cleaning, washing and disinfecting of the surfaces of the production premises, refrigerating chambers, technological equipment, instruments, transportation vehicles is organized.
     

11. Inspection control over the way the rules of personal hygiene with respect to the personnel of the enterprise are organized and met.  Here, attention is to be paid at the following:
    
    Training of the personnel.  Enterprise management must constantly train and monitor the entire personnel to observe the basic principles of the food hygiene as well as the personal hygiene so that the possibility of food contamination is minimized.
    
    Medical:  No personnel with infectious disease are permitted to work in the area of production.

• A designated medical professional will certify that, based on their review of confidential medical records kept on file, all named permanent and seasonal employees (either listed or included in a referenced data base) are not known to be suffering from diseases transmissible through meat, nor affected by any condition which would disqualify them from working or being present in any meat-handling area.  This certification will be available to inspectors upon request.  This certification is also required for cold storage employees who handle boxed product.

Contact transmitted diseases.  The head of the enterprise should take care to prevent contamination of the food product by sick workers.  It is necessary to ensure that everyone who feels sick or who has some suspicion regarding the disease should immediately report it.

Traumas.  Any worker who has an open cut or a wound should not continue to process the food product until the wound is bandaged or covered with the water-resistant material.  The first aid kit should be available for these purposes.

Hand washing.  Every specialist working at the food enterprise must accurately wash hands using appropriate disinfectants.  It is necessary to wash hands before work, directly after visiting the lavatory, after working with the material that soils hands, and in all he other instances of possible hand contamination.

Compliance with the hygienic requirements by the personnel.  Every specialist working at the food enterprise must wear the working clothes constantly- special footwear, head cover, gown, as necessary for the type of work performed.  These items should always be clean.  Aprons and similar clothing should not touch the floor.

• Russian Federation inspectors will expect establishment personnel in slaughter areas and cut-up areas to wear appropriate gowns (i.e., smocks) and dedicated footwear (footwear that can be readily cleaned and sanitized and that is not worn outside the establishment) Using footbaths to sanitize the dedicated footwear is encouraged by the Russian Federation.
   

• Cold storage employees who work in boxed product areas must use and maintain footwear in a manner that precludes contamination of boxes

Personnel behavior.  It is forbidden to eat, smoke, chew the chewing gum, crack nuts, sunflower seeds, spit and so on, on the territory where food product is being processed.

Gloves.  If it is necessary to wear gloves for work they should be durable, not torn and clean.  Wearing gloves does not mean not washing hands.

Visitors.  It is necessary to observe the measures of precaution with respect to the visitors who could contaminate the food product.  Under such conditions it is required that they should be offered the special clothing and they should comply with the rules outlined in these recommendations.

Supervision.  The personnel that are qualified in this field should bear responsibility for compliance with the personal hygiene requirements.

5. Inspection control over poultry product shipment

   1. It is necessary to conduct compliance assessment regarding the storing conditions in reference to the poultry product before it is shipped for export to Russia.  It is necessary to check the documents and the temperature data referring to the products arriving at the distributing (port) cold store warehouse.

      • the accompanying veterinary documents that served as the basic documents to issue the veterinary certificate;

      • the availability of the copies of the vet certificates, bills of lading, results of the lab tests for the product consignment to be shipped;

      • the documents reflecting preparation and sanitary treatment of the vessel or container before the poultry product was loaded on board the ship.

It is necessary to pay attention to the temperature regimes under which the product was loaded into the holds or containers as well as the temperature regimes for storing the product in the containers.  It is necessary to check the appropriate documents to assure compliance with Russian Federation requirements on the product examination before it was loaded in the container and on board the ship (it is necessary to make sure that the US Federal Veterinary Inspector has examined the consignment before it was loaded into the vessel holds and shipped for export to the Russian Federation).  When inspecting it is necessary to check containers and vessel holds in preparation for loading, the temperature inside the loaded product, recordings of the temperature regimes, availability of the labels on packages with packed meat clearly indicating the name and the number of the poultry processing plant as well as the notice in the Russian language: “This product is intended for export to the Russian Federation”, the kind of product; the manufacturing date; the expiration date; the US Federal Vet Service export veterinary stamps with the number that is identical to the number of the veterinary certificate and so on.