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Imported food requirements: Bovine meat and bovine meat products

Recent Updates

Date	Location	Information
November 2009	Section 2.6	Beef from Australia must be accompanied by a consignment-specific manufacturer’s declaration for clearance.
1 July 2009	All	Layout revised, Brazil import conditions updated.

1.0 Scope

1.1 The purpose of this Imported Food Requirement is to provide administrative guidance to a Food Act Officer (FAO) as to the matters they may take into consideration when determining whether they have been satisfied by a person who imports food into New Zealand that the food complies in all respects with-

(a) All relevant provisions of the Food Act 1981; and

(b) All relevant provisions of any regulations made pursuant to the Food Act 1981; and

(c) All applicable food standards.

Nothing in this Imported Food Requirement limits the powers of a FAO appointed under the Food Act 1981.

1.2 Legislative requirement: Food (Prescribed Foods) Standard 2007

• Products covered under the scope of these requirements are Prescribed Foods for the purpose of import into New Zealand (Section 11P, Food Act 1981).

• No person may import these products into New Zealand unless that person has satisfied an officer that the food complies.

1.3 This Imported Food Requirement sets out clearance options and procedures for importers of prescribed foods that an importer may follow when aiming to satisfy a FAO that the food complies with the Food Act 1981.

1.4 These clearance options and procedures apply in addition to and after a prescribed food has gained clearance from MAF Biosecurity New Zealand. Importers should check those requirements at: MAF Biosecurity New Zealand.

1.5 Products include: Bovine meat and bovine meat products, including:

• Boned and deboned skeletal meat

• Blood and blood by-products

• Any food commodities prepared from/containing specified risk material (SRM)

• Mechanically recovered meat

• Tallow (non-protein- free)

• Tallow derivatives made from non-protein-free tallow

• Dicalcium phosphate-containing protein or fat.

1.6 Products excluded:

• Milk and milk products

• Gelatine and collagen prepared from bones, hides and skins

• Protein-free tallow (maximum level of insoluble impurities of 0.15% in weight) and derivatives made from this tallow

• Dicalcium phosphate (with no trace of protein or fat)

• Processed foods containing negligible bovine meat content, eg, bouillon, soups and stock cubes that contain negligible bovine meat content (ie, less than 2% of rendered fat and meat extract in the ready-to-serve product after water added), other products such as salad dressing, dairy-base dip, flavouring, seasoning preparations and cheeses containing 3% or less of bovine meat ingredients.

1.7 Tariff codes targeted

1.8 Food safety hazard: bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

1.9 Import permitted with conditions from: Australia, Brazil, Canada, European Union, Mexico, United States of America, Vanuatu.

1.10 All other countries are able to apply for a pre-clearance arrangement. Information on how a competent authority can apply is available online.

2.0 Importer Clearance Options

2.1 The clearance options and procedures in this Imported Food Requirement apply to bovine meat and bovine meat products and are in addition to clearance requirements detailed in the Import Clearance Procedure.

2.2 Importers must also meet the requirements of the Food (Importer Listing) Standard 2008 and the Food (Importer General Requirements) Standard 2008. Importers should also read and understand the Food Importer Standards Guidance before sourcing products to import.

2.3 For bovine meat and bovine meat products, importers have a responsibility under the Food (Importer General Requirements) Standard 2008 to ensure imports are of minimal risk BSE. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a member of a family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). It is a fatal, feed-borne, neurological disease of cattle. Human infection with the BSE agent (proteinaceous agent known as a “prion”) has been linked to a variant of the human disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). vCJD is a very rare food-borne illness in humans, resulting from consumption of products contaminated with BSE-infected bovine central nervous tissue.

2.4 Consignments captured under these requirements may be cleared by pre-clearance arrangement ONLY. Such arrangements confirm that products are produced under a programme(s) that manages the hazards associated with BSE and meets, or is equivalent to, New Zealand’s requirements for BSE-related measures. All conditions of the pre-clearance arrangement must be met before a product may be cleared for entry.

2.5 For the purposes of this document, origin includes where the bovine meat product was born, reared, slaughtered, processed, manufactured and exported from.

2.6 NZFSA has pre-clearance arrangements with the countries listed below which allow the import of bovine meat and bovine meat products into New Zealand.

Australia – Arrangement covers bovine meat and bovine meat products originating (born, reared, slaughtered, manufactured, processed) in Australia and/or New Zealand and exported from Australia. Requirements to be met: Health certification is not required. Each consignment must be accompanied by a consignment-specific manufacturer’s declaration that the bovine meat is of Australian and/or New Zealand origin. Upon request, the importer shall supply the name and address of exporter, name and address of manufacturer, description and type of product and the official number of premises (for meat/meat by-products).

Brazil – Arrangement covers bovine meat and bovine meat products originating (born, reared, slaughtered, manufactured, processed) and exported from Brazil. Requirements to be met: Agreed certification issued by the competent authority of Brazil must accompany each consignment.

Canada – Arrangement covers bovine and bovine meat products originating (born, reared, slaughtered, manufactured, processed) from Canada and / or United States and exported from Canada. Requirements to be met: Agreed certification issued by the competent authority of Canada must accompany each consignment.

European Union - Arrangement covers bovine and bovine meat products originating (born, reared, slaughtered, manufactured, processed) from Australia and / or Vanuatu and / or European Union (EU) and exported from the EU. Requirements to be met: Agreed certification issued by competent authorities of EU member states must accompany each consignment.

Mexico – Arrangement covers bovine meat and bovine meat products originating (born, reared, slaughtered, manufactured, processed) and exported from Mexico. Requirements to be met: Agreed certification issued by the competent authority of Mexico must accompany each consignment.

United States of America – Arrangement covers bovine meat and bovine meat products originating (born, reared, slaughtered, manufactured, processed) from United States and / or Canada and exported from United States. Requirements to be met: NZFSA implement a case-by-case assessment of US bovine meat and bovine meat products covered under the BSE Standard.

Vanuatu – Arrangement covers bovine meat and bovine meat products originating (born, reared and slaughtered) and exported from Vanuatu. Requirements to be met: The agreed certification issued by the competent authority of Vanuatu must accompany all consignments. Certification must clearly identify, under the term ‘Description of goods’, the products as bone-in or boneless plus other required information.

3.0 Clearance Procedures

3.1 Documentation checks

All consignments accompanied by NZFSA recognised assurances / certification from the relevant competent authority are subject to 100% documentation checks unless otherwise stated in the arrangement with the exporting country. The certification will be specified under each pre-clearance arrangement.

3.2 Physical inspections

Certification may be verified by physical inspection of consignment. The rate applied is specific to each pre-clearance arrangement.

3.3 Management of non-compliant consignments

When clearance cannot be given because of non-compliance with import requirements, all determinations on disposition of non-complying consignments should be made in full consultation with NZFSA (or a representative nominated by NZFSA). This will facilitate appropriate corrective action and communication with relevant entities.

3.4 Contact details for border clearance agency

First stop for importers seeking more information.

Central Clearing House

NZFSA Verification Agency

Level 1, 96 New North Road, Eden Terrace, Auckland

PO Box 3540, Eden Terrace, Auckland

Email: imported.food@nzfsa.govt.nz

Fax: 09 909 6208

Phone: 09 909 6210 or 09 909 6211

To be notified of changes and updates to NZFSA’s website, including import requirements, go to the NZFSA website Notifications page.

4.0 Information for Exporting Countries

Bovine meat and bovine meat products are a permitted import into New Zealand ONLY where the product originates from countries where NZFSA has negotiated a pre-clearance arrangement with the country’s Competent Authority.

Background information is available regarding the NZFSA Country categorisation system and how NZFSA determines a country’s BSE risk category under the BSE Measure.

• Consultation information

• WTO notification

4.1 Categorisation of countries under the BSE Measure

NZFSA has categorised countries which are currently permitted to export to New Zealand as per the New Zealand (Prescribed Foods) Food Standards 2002 and Amendments to the BSE Measures Applying to Imported Food for Human Consumption, based on NZFSA Public Discussion Document No 03/06 March 2007. These are listed below:

Country	Category*
Australia	1
Brazil	2
Canada	2
Mexico	2
United States of America	2
Vanuatu	1

* based on OIE Categorisation review May 2008.

The countries listed below have a pre-clearance arrangement with NZFSA. Each pre-clearance arrangement is specific in terms of scope and import conditions (including certification).

Australia - Arrangement with Australia (in place until bovine meat and bovine meat products for BSE are included under the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement).

Brazil - Pre-clearance arrangement in place.

Canada - NZFSA has formally recognised the consumer safeguards provided by Canada’s regime to manage the human health risks of BSE as being equivalent to those provided by New Zealand’s BSE Country Categorisation Measure. The process used to determine equivalence is science and risk based.

European Union - NZFSA has formally recognised the consumer safeguards provided by the European Union to manage the human health risks of BSE as being equivalent to those provided by New Zealand’s BSE Country Categorisation Measure. Agreement between the European Community and New Zealand on sanitary measures is applicable to trade in live animal and animal products, ‘EC/NZ: Council Decision on Sanitary Measures Applicable to Trade in Live Animals and Animal Products’ was signed on 17 December 1996.

Mexico - Pre-clearance arrangement in place.

United States of America - NZFSA has recognised the consumer safeguards provided by United States regime to manage the human health risks of BSE as being equivalent to those provided by New Zealand’s BSE Country Categorisation Measure. Formal recognition and implementation of this arrangement with the USFDA has not been finalised.

Vanuatu - Pre-clearance arrangement in place.

4.2 Process to apply for pre-clearance arrangement

Pre-clearance arrangements confirm that bovine meat and bovine meat products are derived from a regulated environment in the exporting country which manages hazards and meets New Zealand’s requirements.

The competent authority of an exporting country can apply to NZFSA for determination of a pre-clearance arrangement or for an equivalency assessment and determination of pre-clearance arrangement. Equivalency arrangements may or may not consider the country’s import control system.

The application should be sent to:

Director Standards

NZFSA

PO Box 2835

Wellington 6011

New Zealand

Attention: Programme Manager (Import Systems)

Email: import.systems@nzfsa.govt.nz

Note: Importers are encouraged to request their supplier to contact the competent authority in the exporting country to apply to NZFSA for assessment for a pre-clearance arrangement.

4.3 Contact point for SPS

One of the principal innovations of the World Trade Organisation Sanitary and Phytosanitary (WTO SPS) agreement (the agreement on the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures) is a requirement for prior notification of SPS measures. Each WTO member is required to designate a single central government authority as responsible for implementing, on a national level, the notification requirements of the SPS agreement. In addition, each Member is required to establish an Enquiry Point, which is responsible for the provision of answers to all reasonable questions as well as the provision of relevant documents.

The Contact Point for New Zealand can be contacted at:

NewZealand.SPS@maf.govt.nz

5.0 Tariff Codes Targeted

Prescribed foods are targeted at the border using the New Zealand Customs tariff code system.

A tariff code is a number used for Customs purposes to classify goods. An import agent or customs broker may be able to assist with interpretation of the tariff code.

Importers who are importing bovine meat and bovine meat products under tariff codes not listed below should notify NZFSA Central Clearing House. CCH will notify NZFSA of the need to review the tariff codes targeted.

Inadvertent captures

As the tariff classification system is not designed specifically around the imported food regime, some food products may be inadvertently captured by the targeted tariff codes listed. If this is the case, products will not be subject to the sampling and testing protocol outlined in these requirements. Importers may apply to NZFSA for a multiple release permit (MRP) to facilitate clearance.

Products classified with the following tariff codes are captured under this requirement:

Tariff Codes targeted for bovine meat and bovine meat products
0201 Meat of bovine animals, fresh or chilled
0201.10.00.01D	Bovine carcasses or half carcasses fresh or chilled
0201.10.00.11A	Veal Half Carcasses Fresh Or Chilled
0201.10.00.19G	Other
0201.20.00.01H	P1 Grade Steer And Heifer Quarters Fresh or Chilled
0201.20.00.09C	G Grade Steer And Heifer Quarters Fresh Or Chilled
0201.20.00.19L	L1 And L2 Grades Steer And Heifer Quarters Fresh Or Chilled
0201.20.00.21B	P1 Grade Cow Quarters Fresh Or Chilled
0201.20.00.29H	G Grade Cow Quarters Fresh Or Chilled
0201.20.00.31K	Bull Quarters Fresh Or Chilled
0201.20.00.39E	Other Beef Quarters Fresh Or Chilled
0201.20.00.41G	Cow Steer And Heifer Cuts To Meat Board Specs Fresh Or Chilled
0201.20.00.49B	Other Cuts Of Cow Steer And Heifer Fresh or Chilled
0201.20.00.51D	Bull Cuts Fresh Or Chilled
0201.20.00.59K	Veal Quarters And Cuts Fresh Or Chilled
0201.20.00.69G	Other Cuts With Bone In Other
0201.30.00.01A	Boneless Cow Steer Heifer Cuts To Meat Board Specs Fresh Or Chilled
0201.30.00.09G	Other Boneless Cow Steer And Heifer Cuts Fresh Or Chilled
0201.30.00.11J	Boneless Bull Cuts Fresh Or Chilled
0201.30.00.21F	Boneless Bobby Veal Cuts Fresh Or Chilled
0201.30.00.29A	Other
0202 Meat of bovine animals, frozen
0202.10.00.01B	Frozen Bovine Carcasses
0202.10.00.11K	Veal Half Carcasses Frozen
0202.10.00.19E	Other Half Carcasses Frozen
0202.20.00.01F	P1 Grade Steer And Heifer Quarters Frozen
0202.20.00.09A	G Grade Steer And Heifer Quarters Frozen
0202.20.00.19J	L1 And L2 Grades Steer And Heifer Quarters Frozen
0202.20.00.21L	P1 Cow Grade Quarters Frozen
0202.20.00.29F	G Grade Cow Quarters Frozen
0202.20.00.31H	Bull Quarters Frozen
0202.20.00.39C	Other Cuts Bovine Meat Frozen
0202.20.00.41E	Cow Steer And Heifer Cuts To Meat Board Specs Frozen
0202.20.00.49L	Other Cow Steer And Heifer Cuts Frozen
0202.20.00.51B	Bull Cuts Frozen
0202.20.00.59H	Veal Quarters And Cuts Frozen
0202.20.00.69E	Other Cuts With Bone In Other Frozen
0202.30.00.01K	Boneless Cow Steer And Heifer Cuts To Meat Board Specs
0202.30.00.09E	Other Cow Steer And Heifer Cuts Boneless Frozen
0202.30.00.11G	Boneless Bull Cuts Frozen
0202.30.00.21D	Boneless Bobby Veal Frozen
0202.30.00.29K	Boneless Veal Other Than Bobby Frozen
0206 Edible offal of bovine animals, swine, sheep, goats, horses, asses, mules or hinnies, fresh, chilled or frozen
0206.10.00.01E	Bovine Brains Fresh Or Chilled
0206.10.00.09L	Bovine Hearts Fresh Or Chilled
0206.10.00.11B	Bovine Kidneys Fresh Or Chilled
0206.10.00.19H	Bovine Livers Fresh Or Chilled
0206.10.00.21K	Bovine Sweetbreads Fresh Or Chilled
0206.10.00.29E	Bovine Tongues Fresh Or Chilled
0206.10.00.39B	Other Edible Offal Bovine Fresh Or Chilled
0206.21.00.00E	Bovine Tongues Frozen
0206.22.00.00K	Bovine Livers Frozen
0206.29.00.01K	Bovine Brains Frozen
0206.29.00.09E	Bovine Hearts Frozen
0206.29.00.11G	Bovine Kidneys Frozen
0206.29.00.19B	Bovine Sweetbreads Frozen
0206.29.00.29K	Other Bovine Edible Offal Frozen
0210 Meat and edible meat offal, salted, in brine, dried or smoked; edible flours and meals of meat or meat offal
0210.20.00.00J	Bovine Meat Salted Etc
0504 Guts, bladders and stomachs of animals (other than fish), whole and pieces thereof, fresh, chilled, frozen, salted, in brine, dried or smoked
0504.00.00.11A	Bovine Sausage Casings
0504.00.00.51L	Beef And Veal Tripe
1602 Other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal or blood
1602.10.09.01L	Corned Beef Homogenised Preparations In Cans Or Jars
1602.50.01.00F	Bovine Meat Preparations In Cans Or Jars With Vegetables Etc
1602.50.09.01E	Corned Beef Preparations In Cans Or Jars Other
1602.50.09.09L	Bovine Tongue Preparations In Cans Or Jars Other
1602.50.09.19H	Other Bovine Meat Preparations In Cans Or Jars Other
1602.50.19.00B	Bovine Meat Preparations Otherwise Packed

“NON-BEEF DECLARATION” If product does not contain bovine ingredients, importer or Customs agent can declare “no beef” for product captured under the following:
0210 Meat and edible meat offal, salted, in brine, dried or smoked; edible flours and meals of meat or meat offal
0210.99.30.39G	Other Including Edible Flours And Meals Of Meat Or Meat Offal - Other Animals
0504 Guts, bladders and stomachs of animals (other than fish), whole and pieces thereof, fresh, chilled, frozen, salted, in brine, dried or smoked
0504.00.00.49J	Vells (Rennet Bags).
0504.00.00.89H	Other Guts Bladders And Stomachs Of Animals- Whole And Pieces Thereof
0506 Bones and horn-cores, un-worked, defatted, simply prepared (but not cut to shape), treated with acid or de-gelatinised; powder and waste of these products
0506.10.00.00F	Ossein and Bones Treated with Acid
0506.90.00.01C	Bone Meal or Powder
1502 Fats of bovine animals, sheep or goats, other than those of heading 15.03
1502.00.00.02A	Fats Of Bovine Animals Sheep Or Goats From Bones Or Waste Crude
1502.00.00.12J	Refined Fats From Bones Or Waste Of Bovine Animals Sheep Or Goats - Neats Foot
1502.00.00.18H	Refined Fats From Bones Or Waste Of Bovine Animals Sheep Or Goats - Other
1502.00.00.22F	Edible Tallow Obtained From Beef Fat
1502.00.00.28E	Edible Tallow Obtained From Bovine (Other Than Beef) Sheep Or Goat Fats
1502.00.00.58G	Bovine Sheep Or Goat Fats Other Than From Bones Or Waste Other Than Tallow
1503 Lard stearin, lard oil, oleo-stearin, oleo-oil and tallow oil, not emulsified or mixed or otherwise prepared
1503.00.01.00K	Oleo Oil
1503.00.09.01J	Edible Stearin
1503.00.09.09D	Other Lard Stearin Lard Oil Etc
1506 Other animal fats and oils and their fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified
1506.00.00.01F	Fractions Of Other Animal Fats And Oils
1506.00.00.11C	Other Crude Animal Fats And Oils Other Than Fractions
1506.00.00.19J	Other Refined Animal Fats And Oils Other Than Fractions
1516.10.00 Animal fats and oils and their fractions
1516.10.00.09B	Other Animal Fats And Oils And Their Fractions
1517 Margarine; edible mixtures or preparations of animal or vegetable fats or oils or of fractions of different fats or oils of this Chapter, other than edible fats or oils of heading 15.16:
1517.10.00.01E	Polyunsaturated Margarine
1517.10.00.09L	Saturated Table Margarine
1517.10.00.11B	Other Polyunsaturated Margarine
1517.10.00.19H	Other Saturated Margarine
1517.10.00.29E	Other Margarine Not Liquid
1517.90.01.02J	Edible Mould Release Preparations In Aerosol Containers With CFC’s
1517.90.01.08H	Edible Mould Release Preparations In Aerosol Containers With No CFC’s
1517.90.01.19C	Edible Mould Release Preparations Not In Aerosol Containers
1517.90.09.01A	Polyunsaturated Liquid Margarine
1517.90.09.09G	Saturated Liquid Margarine
1517.90.09.19D	Other Liquid Margarine
1517.90.19.02E	Other Edible Mixtures In Aerosol Containers With CFC’s
1517.90.19.08D	Other Edible Mixtures In Aerosol Containers Without CFC’s
1517.90.19.19K	Other Edible Mixtures Not In Aerosol Containers
1601 Sausages and similar products, of meat, meat offal or blood; food preparations based on these products
1601.00.00.01A	Chicken Sausages
1601.00.00.09G	Turkey Sausages
1601.00.00.11J	Duck Sausages
1601.00.00.19D	Sausages Of Other Poultry
1601.00.00.29A	Sausages Of Other Than Poultry
1602 Other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal or blood
1602.10.01.00A	Homogenised Preparations Of Meat Etc In Cans Or Jars With Vegetables Etc And Meat Pastes
1602.10.09.11H	Other Kinds Of Tongues Homogenised Preparations In Cans Or Jars
1602.10.09.29L	Other Meats Homogenised Preparations In Cans Or Jars
1602.10.19.00H	Homogenised Preparations Of Meats Etc Other Than In Cans Or Jars
1602.20.09.00F	Homogenised Preparations Of Liver Other Than Pates De Foie Gras
1602.90.01.00L	Preparations Of Blood
1602.90.11.00F	Other Meat Preparations In Cans Or Jars With Vegetables Etc
1602.90.19.19H	Other Meat Prepared In Cans Or Jars
1602.90.29.00B	Other Meat Prepared Packed Other Than In Cans Or Jars
1603 Extracts and juices of meat, fish or crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates
1603.00.01.01D	Meat Extracts
1603.00.01.09K	Meat Juices
1902 Pasta, whether or not cooked or stuffed (with meat or other substances) or otherwise prepared, such as spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, lasagne, gnocchi, ravioli, cannelloni; couscous, whether or not prepared:
1902.20.00.00H	Stuffed Pasta
1902.30.01.01F	Dried Noodle Cake With Flavour Sachet
1902.30.01.09A	Other Pasta In Combination With Other Food Substances Other Than Dried Noodle Cake
2103 Sauces and preparations therefore; mixed condiments and mixed seasonings; mustard flour and meal and prepared mustard
2103.90.00.01D	Other Sauces Not Elsewhere Specified
2103.90.00.11A	Mixed Condiments
2103.90.00.19G	Mixed Seasonings
2103.90.00.29D	Other
2104 Soups and broths and preparations therefore; homogenized composite food preparations
2104.10.09.41K	Soups And Broths Etc Of Meat
2104.10.09.49E	Soups And Broths Etc Other Than Meat And Vegetable
2104.20.00.00J	Homogenised Composite Food Preparations
2106 Food preparations not elsewhere specified or included
2106.10.09.00J	Protein Concentrates Other Than TVP
2106.90.99.01E	Mixtures Of Chemicals & Foodstuffs Of A Kind Used In The Prep Of Human Foodstuff
2106.90.99.79A	Other Food Preps Not Listed Elsewhere
3507 Enzymes; prepared enzymes not elsewhere specified or included
3507.10.01.00G	Flavoured Coloured Or Simply Prep Rennet & Concentrates Thereof
3507.10.09.00H	Rennet Other Than Flavoured Coloured Or Simply Prepared
3507.90.00.00K	Prepared Enzymes Other Than Rennet