Chapter 11 - Export

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11.7.3 Russia

11.7.3.1 General information

The exporter is responsible to ensure that, once a shipment is certified by the CFIA, it is exported to the Russian Federation without intermediate storage and splitting of the shipment.

Import inspection: import shipments are subject to inspection upon entry in Russia which may include bacteriological or chemical residues analysis. If a violation is observed, the Russian authorities will request an investigation to determine the cause of the violation. They will also request a report on corrective actions and preventive measures taken to rectify the problem. As an example, poultry meat exported to Russia may be subject to microbiological testing. If unsatisfactory results are obtained (e.g. Salmonella detected) actions will be taken against the producing establishment. These actions may include imposing temporary restrictions such as increased testing and, if further violations are detected or investigation report is incomplete or is not provided, the suspension of export privileges/delistment of the establishment.

Labelling requirements: it is the responsibility of the exporter and importer to ensure that the Russian labelling requirements are met (Russian language, when applicable and content).

Given the animal health declarations on some certificates, it is recommended that exporters notify the official veterinarian well in advance of their intention to export meat products to Russia to ensure that all necessary controls can be implemented.

11.7.3.2 Import prohibitions or restrictions

(a) Establishment's eligibility (see Annex E for the list of approved establishments)

• All meat and meat products must originate from an establishment approved by Russia.
• Meat products destined for export to Russia must be stored in establishments/storages approved by Russia.

It is the responsibility of the operator of the exporting establishment to ensure that only meat products derived from animals slaughtered and processed in eligible establishments are exported to Russia.

Operators of establishments, where eligible and non-eligible products are handled, must develop, implement and maintain written procedures that will ensure that non-eligible products can be distinguished from those that are eligible through receiving, processing, shipping and distribution.

The procedures must be reviewed and be acceptable to the Inspector in Charge and must include monitoring, verification and record keeping activities, deviation procedures and be auditable and effective.

Note:

The Russian authorities require that the name and address of the establishment used when exporting to Russia (label and certificate) be the same as it appears in Annex E of this section. When changes need to be made to the information appearing in Annex E, the Operator is responsible to inform the export specialist of the appropriate CFIA Area Office through the CFIA Inspector in Charge accordingly. The CFIA, Meat Programs Divisions will contact the Russian authorities and request the required amendment to the official list. When Russian authorities confirm that the official list had been amended, Annex E will be updated and then exports may resume.

(b) Establishment approval procedures:

• As per usual procedures Annex I of the introduction to Chapter 11 must be completed.
• In addition, the supplementary information shown in Annex G must be completed.
• As indicated in the Note above, only one business name can be used and must be entered on (Annex I and G).
• The applicant must provide a declaration/letter or a declaration/letter of the exporter/broker confirming that Russian importers have shown interest in importing from the applicant establishment. Providing specific name of the potential importer rather than generic information such as "We have importers in Russia that are interested ... " may facilitate approval.

In response to complete applications received, the Meat Programs Division will propose to the Russian authorities amendments to the list of approved establishments. The CFIA recommendation, for amendment to the list, will include a copy of the "declaration/letter" received from the applicant. The Russian authorities may choose to conduct an on-site inspection prior to approve establishments recommended by the CFIA.

Approved establishments are subject to on-site inspection by Russian inspectors.

(c) Poultry

1. Poultry meat products: the use of hyperchlorinated water during processing is prohibited.
2. Guidelines for issuing animal health attestations
   1. Paragraph 4.3, point 3: Newcastle and avian influenza refer to diseases appearing on list A of the OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) and of which Canada is free.

      Note: Avian influenza - the importation of poultry meat originating from British Columbia and Saskatchewan is prohibited.

   2. Paragraph 4.3, points 4 and 5: Procedures must be implemented in order to certify the absence of certain diseases, some of which that could occur sporadically in Canada, at the farm of origin of the birds from which the meat destined to Russia is derived. The diseases in question are: infectious laryngotracheitis, infectious encephalomyelitis, infectious with paramyxovirus (PMV1)* and ornithosis (psittacosis) in the case of chicken meat. In the case of turkey meat, turkey rhinotracheitis** must be added to the list of diseases of concerns. In the case of duck meat and goose meat, duck virus hepatitis**, Derzsy's disease** (goose parvovirus infection) and ornithosis (psittacosis) are the diseases of concern. The diseases of concern must not have occurred during the last six (6) months on the premises of origin of the birds.

In order to meet the certification requirements, the relevant conditions in this section must be implemented at the slaughterhouse (2.1 to 2.4) and processing establishment (2.2, 2.3, 2.4), as applicable.

Note:

* Occurrences of infection with paramyxovirus (PMV1) are handled through CFIA animal health programs as part of the surveillance program for Newcastle disease. In Canada only cases referred to on the List A of the OIE are considered serious and dealt with by eradication. However for the purpose of certification to Russia, any cases associated with clinical signs, even those attributed to viruses with low pathogenicity, make the farm of origin non eligible for 6 months.

** According to available animal health data, these diseases have not been reported recently to the OIE by Canada.

2.1 Receiving of birds (one of the three following options must be implemented)

a) Each lot of birds must be covered by a flock sheet, and for each farm from which birds are received for slaughter, the operator must have on file an attestation of freedom of diseases of concern issued by a veterinary practitioner (includes a veterinarian working in private practice or employed by a company, cooperative or government body other than the CFIA) with a guarantee on the part of the practitioner to immediately notify the operator in case of the occurrence of any of the diseases. The attestation by the practitioner must be renewed on a six-month basis.

An example of an attestation that would be considered acceptable is as follows (It is understood that the list of diseases of concern must be adapted to the type of poultry meat destined to Russia):

"To (name and address of operator)

To the best of my knowledge, no clinical cases of ornithosis (psittacosis), infectious laryngotracheitis and infectious encephalomyelitis have occurred on the farm located at during the last six (6) months. I undertake to notify you as soon as I become aware of cases of these diseases.

Name Printed and Signature

Date"

The operator must undertake to inform the official veterinarian immediately and to take appropriate action when the veterinary practitioner gives notification of occurrence of a disease of concern.

or

b) Each lot of birds must be covered by a flock sheet and an attestation of freedom of the diseases of concern issued by a veterinary practitioner.

An example of an attestation that would be considered acceptable is as follows: (it is understood that the list of diseases must be adapted to the category of poultry meat intended for Russia):

"To (name and address of operator)

To the best of my knowledge, no clinical cases of ornithosis (psittacosis), infectious laryngotracheitis and infectious encephalomyelitis have occurred on the farm located at during the last six (6) months.

Name Printed and Signature

Date"

Alternative measures may also be used in provinces that have agreed to implement a disease surveillance system for the diseases of concern, the attestation of disease freedom by a veterinary practitioner will not be required. The components of an acceptable disease surveillance system are described below:

a) Flock sheet

Each lot of birds must be covered by a flock sheet.

Note: On the flock sheet (at the next printing of the form) the following statement appears :

"I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge, the information contained on this form is accurate and that any diseases that were diagnosed in the flock have been identified and reported."

b) Animal Health producer's declaration

The flock sheet must be accompanied by an Animal Health Sheet issued by the producer that will contain the following two statements:

Part A - Animal Health Statement: "To the best of my knowledge, no laboratory diagnosis (excluding vaccination response) for the following trade related diseases have occurred in this flock or on my farm during the past six months: avian (fowl) cholera, ornithosis (psittacosis), infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) and infectious encephalomyelitis (AE).

Signature: Date: 

Part B - Release of Confidentiality: "I authorize animal health laboratories and private veterinary practitioners to release to the Provincial veterinarian, the processor and the CFIA veterinarian in the processing plant, any laboratory diagnosis (excluding vaccination response) for the following trade related diseases: avian (fowl) cholera, ornithosis (psittacosis), infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) and infectious encephalomyelitis (AE).

Signature: Date: 

c) Immediate notification of diseases of concern by Provincial veterinarian to the CFIA veterinarian in charge and the operator of the slaughtering establishment.

All laboratories within the province will immediately notify the provincial veterinarian when one of the diseases of concern is diagnosed. The provincial veterinarian will in turn notify the operator and the CFIA veterinarian in charge. Alternative pathways for advising the operator and CFIA veterinarian, e.g., via an area office, could be arranged with the agreement of all parties.

2.2 Segregation and traceability

• Products destined to export must be adequately segregated from non eligible products during production and remain identifiable until export takes place.
• Products transferred from one registered establishment to another must be accompanied by a transfer certificate confirming that it meets the applicable requirements (see Annex J of the Introduction).

2.3 Responsibilities

Operators interested in exporting fresh and frozen poultry meat to Russia must submit to the CFIA inspector in charge, standard operating procedures outlining how they will comply with the applicable requirements. The inspector will review the proposed procedures and approve them when found acceptable. The operator is responsible for implementing the approved procedures and to perform the necessary verification activities. The inspector will monitor the procedures to verify compliance with applicable requirements so that certification can be issued as applicable upon request.

2.4 Record keeping

Operators are responsible for keeping the flock sheet, the attestation or a list of producers with signed release of confidentiality and transfer certificates on file for a period of at least two years. They are also responsible for making them available to the CFIA official veterinarian when export certification is requested.

(d) Beef - eligible products:

• Beef products (bone-in/boneless), including offal, derived from animals aged less than 30 months are eligible for export (see form CFIA/ACIA 5553 for details).
• boneless beef products (skeletal muscle only), derived from animals aged 30 months or over are eligible for export (see form CFIA/ACIA 5606 for details).

(e) Horsemeat: export is not allowed as certification requirements cannot be met.

11.7.3.3 Specific or additional inspection procedures

(a) Animal health conditions

Necessary information must be provided to the signing officer to enable him or her to be satisfied that animal health conditions are met.

(b) Pork

Ante mortem inspection: form CFIA/ACIA 1438 must be completed for each lot. The clinical examination of each subject animals must be conducted by a veterinarian (CFIA/ACIA 1438 signed by a veterinarian).

Trichinella control: in the case of products containing pork muscular tissue, freezing treatment for Trichinella control is required (acceptable the freezing temperatures are prescribed on form CFIA/ACIA 5555). Otherwise, methods of treatment approved by the CFIA (refer to Chapter 4) are acceptable with the exception of method number 5 (freezing in combo bins).

Submitting samples under the national monitoring program for Trichinella is sufficient to satisfy the statement appearing in paragraph 4 of the certificate that "Sample trichina testing gave a negative result".

Guidelines for issuing certification

1. Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS)

   In discussions between the Chief Veterinary Officers of Canada and Russia held in Moscow in September 2002, the need for, and the meaning of the current certification requirement for PRRS was reaffirmed. The discussions included a full disclosure of the fact that PRRS is not officially reportable in Canada and therefore its presence in a herd would not be brought to the attention of the official veterinary services as a routine matter in the course of their duties, that the clinical syndrome is most commonly seen in younger pigs and breeding sows, and that there is less risk associated with PRRS in market hogs. The conclusion was that the certification requirement would continue to be based on absence of compelling evidence of the disease on ante mortem and post mortem inspection. This practice has been found to be acceptable by all Russian inspectors performing the annual inspection of Canadian establishments.

   Therefore, the statement on the certificate which reads, "The meat was derived from animals in which no clinical signs of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome disease were discovered before and after slaughter", is deemed to mean that the animals have passed routine mandatory CFIA ante mortem and post mortem inspection.

2. Erysipelas

   If typical signs of the disease are detected at the slaughter plant, the meat derived from the affected animal must be considered ineligible.

3. Other Diseases

   These are referred to in relation to absence of signs at the slaughter plant and are limited to those diseases which are previously referred to in the section dealing with the status of farms.

11.7.3.4 Additional certification

1. Pork

   Form CFIA/ACIA 5555 must be issued. See Annex A-1 for certificate completion guidelines.

2. Beef
   • Meat derived from animals aged less than 30 months: Form CFIA/ACIA 5553 must be issued. Same completion guidelines as for form CFIA/ACIA 5555 should be used - See Annex A-1 for details.
   • Boneless beef derived from animals aged 30 months or over: Form CFIA/ACIA 5606 must be issued. Same completion guidelines as for form CFIA/ACIA 5555 should be used - See Annex A-1 for details.
3. Poultry meat

   Annex C must be issued. The certificate must bear the same official veterinarian's signature as the CFIA/ACIA 1454.

   Note: The Russian regulations allow the presence of kidneys in chicken meat. The product containing kidneys should be described as such on the certificate (under name of the product, part 1, Annex C). "Chicken meat and by-product" or equivalent wording is acceptable.

4. Cooked meat products

   Annex D must be issued. The certificate must bear the same official veterinarian's signature as the CFIA/ACIA 1454.

11.7.3.5 Special packaging or marking requirements

• See applicable certification.
• All primal cuts must bear a stamp when carcasses are destined for export.
• All cartons must bear the production date. Codes are not acceptable.
• As indicated on the export certificate, the shipping containers must be sealed with a label bearing the meat inspection legend. An export sticker as outlined in section 11.3 (2) may also be used for that purpose.
• The export stamp of producing establishment should be applied on shipping containers.

11.7.3.6 Other requirements

Notification of the Issuance of export certificate

The Russian authorities require direct notification from the CFIA of certain information on shipments of meat products certified for export to assist them in their determination of the integrity of the export certificates received in Russia.

The following procedures must be implemented in response to the request received from the Russian authorities:

1. The applicant will complete the electronic Excel version of the table "Weekly List of Export Certificates Issued for Russia" shown in Annex F and, when applicable, of the table "Weekly List of Export Certificates Issued for Russia and Cancelled" shown in Annex F-1, and at the end of the week, will send them by email at the following address: EXPORTMPD@inspection.gc.ca, with cc to the applicant’s inspector (the one assigning the certificate).
2. The applicant will provide a hard copy of Annex F, and when applicable of Annex F-1, sent to EXPORTMPD@inspection.gc.ca, initialled by the designated establishment’s contact person, to the applicant’s inspector the same day for verification and record purposes.

   Note: Annex F-1 must be completed only when a certificate is cancelled (e.g. replacement certificate is issued) for a shipment for which Annex F was already completed and sent by the applicant to EXPORTMPD@inspection.gc.ca, that is for a shipment for which the Russian authorities were already notified.

3. The applicant’s inspector will verify the information contained in Annex F and/or Annex F-1 received and document the verification conducted by putting his/her initial and the date of verification on Annex F and/or F-1 as applicable. The copy of Annex F and/or F-1 will be kept on file with part 3 of the export certificates. If a discrepancy is identified the inspector will inform the applicant and the Area Office export specialist so that appropriate corrective action can be taken by the applicant.

   Note: the verification can be performed the next working day following the receipt of Annex F and/or Annex F-1 when the certificates are assembled and sent to the Supervisor, Import control and Data Information Center (see point 4 below).

4. Under routine procedures the applicant’s inspector collects all certificates issued and sends the applicable copy to Ottawa (see section 11.3(a)(i)). In the case of export certificates issued for products destined to Russia, the applicant’s inspector will collect part 2 of form CFIA/ACIA 5555 or 1454 and the applicable Annex issued and mail them separately by the next working day following the receipt of Annex F and/or Annex F-1 to the Supervisor of the Import Control and Data Information Center at the following address:

   Import Control Division
   Camelot Court, 59 Camelot Drive
   Ottawa, Ontario
   K1A 0Y9
   Attention to: Supervisor, Import Control and Data Information Center

   Note: In case of issuance of replacement certificate, a photocopy of part 3 of the certificate replaced must be attached to part 2 the replacement certificate and the corresponding annex, as applicable, to clearly identify the link between the two documents when received by the Import Control Division (ICD). In case of cancellation of a certificate, a photocopy of part 3 of the certificate bearing the word "void" must be sent to the ICD.

5. The information received from the applicant will be forwarded to the Russian authorities by the Meat Programs Division (MPD) as per their request. In order to prevent delays at the border, the applicant bears full responsibility for providing accurate and timely information as it will be used by the Russian authorities for import control.

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See a CFIA inspector to obtain certificates.

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