Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine s1

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Trader Notice MH 23/2016

To: All Food Business Operators at premises approved to export pigmeat to Japan

Subject: Amendment to Requirements for Cold Storage of pigmeat, viscera in the Animal health Requirements for meat and viscera derived from pigs to be exported from Ireland to Japan; and Amendment to the Health Certificate to accompany consignments of pigmeat from Ireland to Japan

Background This is to advise you that following negotiations, the Japanese authorities have agreed to amend the requirements for cold stores for meat and viscera derived from pigs to be exported from Ireland to Japan.

The revised requirements allow for any meat not complying with Japanese requirements to be handled in the same cold store provided that:

1. The pigmeat,viscera etc. to be exported to Japan is completely isolated from any meat which does not meet with the requirements for export of pigmeat to Japan 2. Are completely wrapped or boxed to prevent cross contamination with any meat that that does not meet with the requirements for the export of pigmeat to Japan.

In order to comply with the above requirements, a designated and clearly identified section (signage etc) for Japan compliant pigmeat should be located within the coldstore. Pigmeat not destined for Japan but which meets with points 1, 2, 3, 4 of the Japan pigmeat health attestation could be stored in the same chamber as Japan compliant pigmeat provided that the pigmeat destined for Japan is satisfactorily protected.

However, if Japanese destined pigmeat is stored in the same coldstore as pigmeat which is NOT approved for the Japanese market and does NOT fulfil points 1, 2, 3, 4 of the Health Declaration of Health certificate in Annex 1, then the Japanese destined pigmeat must be stored in a separate chamber and cannot share the same space as non approved pigmeat in the loading area during intake or dispatch.

Revision of health certificate The health certificate for the export of pigmeat from Ireland to Japan has also been amended to take account of the amended storage requirements. The revised health certificate now also incorporates the wording of the supplementary certificate. Therefore, when using the revised certificate, there will be no need for the supplementary certificate.

The revised certificate comes into effect immediately. However, the Japanese authorities have agreed that both the old and revised form of the veterinary health certificate will be acceptable to them during 2016. Only the revised form of the veterinary health certificate is to be used and certified from 1 January 2017. A copy of the revised wording of the health certificate is attached at Annex 1. Certificates printed on the special secure stationery may be requested by certifying officers at Japan approved pigmeat plants and cold stores through the usual channels.

Any cold store that currently has an application lodged with Meat Policy Division of this Department for storage of pigmeat destined for Japan will be contacted shortly and their application will be re-examined in light of the revised conditions.

Role of FBO FBOs at cold stores currently approved for export of pigmeat to Japan may, in consultation with the VI assigned to their plant, amend their FSMS and their SOP for the export of pigmeat to Japan in line with these revised requirements. This is provided that they can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the supervising veterinary Inspector, the segregation and protection of Japan compliant pigmeat as outlined above.

Any stand alone cold stores wishing to be approved to store pigmeat for export to Japan should contact Meat Policy Division (Tel: 01 6072700) to initiate the process. The FBO will have to put in place an SOP which addresses the requirements for storage of pigmeat and viscera destined for Japan.

Note: In relation to the reference in the health certificate, “Approved Third Countries” means the “Third Free Countries” defined in the Animal Health Requirements for meat and viscera derived from pigs and for sausages, ham and bacon made from the said meat and viscera as raw materials, to be exported to Japan from Ireland. The updated list is available at: http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/news/third-free.html

Meat Hygiene Division December 2016

Annex 1

Japan wording of revised pigmeat VHC