Completion of form CFIA/ACIA 5344 – Export Application Verification Form - Annex H

On this page

• Definitions
• Procedures to be followed when verifying a meat export shipment
  • Part 2: Declaration of Compliance
  • Part 3: Declaration of Verification
  • Authorization of export markings and completion of export certificate
  • Export stamps and stickers
  • Visual verification of the shipment

Definitions

Applicant

The applicant is the operator of a licensed meat establishment.

Export Application Verification Form – Annex H (CFIA/ACIA 5344)

This form is a prerequisite for each export shipment and must be presented by the applicant's establishment to the official Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) veterinarian or inspector of the applicant's establishment. Annex H (CFIA/ACIA 5344) is composed of three (3) parts. Part 1 and Part 2 are completed by the applicant. Part 3 is completed by the inspector of the applicant's establishment.

Part 1:
Identification of the applicant, export destination, site of inspection, etc.

Part 2:
Declaration of compliance for the meat product. The additional endorsement section is provided to facilitate the means of the endorsement by the producing establishment or shipping establishment, when the applicant does not have the information to attest to any of the five (5) elements.

Part 3:
The inspector of the applicant's establishment declares that the final verification has been performed (see Procedures to be followed when verifying a meat export shipment) and that the shipment is deemed, on that basis, to be eligible for export to the designated country.

Applicant establishment

The applicant establishment is the operator of the CFIA licensed establishment requesting export certification. This operator receives the export certificate from their inspection staff and fills out: Part 1 and Part 2 of Annex H (CFIA/ACIA 5344); the Official Meat Inspection Certificate (OMIC); and, general or country-specific annexes, as applicable.

Producing establishment

The producing establishment is the last CFIA licensed establishment processing the meat product. This is the establishment number appearing in the legend on the product immediate packaging.

Shipping establishment

The shipping establishment is the CFIA licensed establishment where the shipment is assembled and verified. This could be where slaughter activities take place, a processing establishment or a storage facility.

Official veterinarian

The official veterinarian is a veterinarian inspector appointed or designated as such by the CFIA.

Procedures to be followed when verifying a meat export shipment

Annex H (CFIA/ACIA 5344), the application for export certification, is to be completed for every export shipment by a responsible person on behalf of the operator/applicant. This person should have a working knowledge of the importing country's requirements and product compliance standards so that the declaration of compliance can be issued.

To maintain up-to-date working knowledge of any importing country's requirements, operators can keep a well maintained Export Certification Control Program (ECCP) plan. Information in the ECCP plan can include:

• an up-to-date with a copy of an Export requirements library country page;
• country-specific or general annexes (see Meat – Food-specific export requirements;
• accessing CFIA webpages;
• or, other pertinent information, such as labelling requirements.

A copy of Annex H (CFIA/ACIA 5344) with superimposed numbers corresponding to the instructions on completing the form can be provided to applicants by inspector of the applicant's meat establishment.

Part 2: Declaration of Compliance

Element 1 of Part 2 may be completed by the applicant when the importing country has no requirements over and above the Canadian requirements.

When a meat product is to be exported from a facility that is not the producing establishment and that the importing country has requirements over and above the Canadian requirements, a statement from the operator of the producing establishment to the effect that the product conforms to the requirements of the importing country must be received, as an additional endorsement (Annex H – Part 2, element 1). This statement should be corroborated by the inspector of the producing establishment in the additional endorsement section of Part 2.

In the situation where numerous daily exports originating from the same producing establishment, destined to the same country, being of the same species and exported from the same shipping establishment, an alternative to the continued use of the additional endorsement by the producing establishment would be an endorsement letter issued by the producing establishment to the shipping establishment. In this case, should the shipping establishment (applicant) be willing to accept responsibility for the producing establishment, the shipping establishment (applicant) may do so by certifying the export elements normally related to the producing establishment. A written confirmation of the producing establishment's eligibility to export specific meat products must be received by the shipping establishment (applicant) immediately after a modification to the current export status of the producing establishment or immediately after a modification of the applicable requirements of the importing country. This written confirmation should also be corroborated by the inspector of the producing establishment.

Part 3: Declaration of Verification

Upon receiving Annex H (CFIA/ACIA 5344) and before signing it, the inspector will review Parts 1 and Part 2 of the form to ensure it has been completed correctly. Element 1 of Part 2 signifies that the establishments are approved to export to the country and that the meat product to be exported are in compliance with available technical requirements of the country of destination. The inspector receiving the application should inform the applicant that the process may be expedited if the necessary supporting documents accompany the application/verification form. When the applicant is not the same as the producing establishment, the inspector is to verify statements related to the application found in the supporting document including a declaration of compliance issued by the producing establishment.

Authorization of export markings and completion of export certificate

When the information provided above is found satisfactory, the inspector will:

• assign an export certificate to the shipment
• will authorize the use of the export markings (see Export stamps and stickers);
• or, will request that the application form be sent to the shipping establishment, if the applicant is not the shipping establishment, in order that the shipping elements (Annex H – Part 2, element 2 to element 5) be verified and corroborated in the additional endorsement section of the application form.

Alternatively, an inspector may assign a number of blank export certificates to the operator prior to the submission of Annex H (CFIA/ACIA 5344). The number of certificates should be in accordance with the export volume, for instance, a week's supply. In order for this to occur, the operator must have written procedures in place that are acceptable to the inspector to ensure control of the certificates. Every blank certificate issued to the licence holder must be recorded in the CFIA log book and the operator must maintain the certificates under control so every certificate is accounted for at all times.

An inspector may assign export certificates and permit an operator to stamp boxes during approved hours of inspection when the inspector is not on premises. Before doing so the inspector verifies that:

• the operator has identified an employee who will be responsible for the stamp and the certificate;
• the operator has procedures to ensure the stamp will be applied in clear and legible manner (tamper proof manner in the case of stamp-stickers) only to boxes that are in sound condition and which are part of the shipment for which the application was presented;
• and, the operator is aware that the stamp must be returned to the inspector at the completion of the stamping of the meat product.

An inspector may allow an operator to use a self-adhesive sticker bearing a computer generated export stamp impression or a self-adhesive sticker bearing a manually applied impression of the export stamp. These are referred to as export labels. This type of label is not to be confused with the reproduction of the export sticker form Annex O: Export Stickers Order Form (CFIA/ACIA 4091). The operator must submit a written procedure to the inspector for approval. The following control measures must be included in the written procedures submitted to the inspector and be integrated in export procedures:

• the operator has identified an employee who will be responsible for the printing of export stamps;
• control of the use of off-site printing of computer generated stickers is similar to the control procedures used for export stickers – Annex O: Export Stickers Order Form (CFIA/ACIA 4091);
• and, control of the on-site printing of the computer generated stickers may be through password owned by the inspector, or through printing software, for instance a memory stick, controlled by the inspector (equivalent to controls over the export stamp).

A log should be maintained by the operator indicating the number of export labels printed, the number used and any labels that were destroyed.

Export stamps and stickers

Stamps

Except for instances where export stickers are used, all shipping containers of meat product destined for export shall bear the export stamp or export label. The export stamp guarantees that the shipment has received a final inspection before export and identifies the shipment to the certification. The export stamp remains under the control of the inspector. At the discretion of an inspector, the stamps are to be applied either by themselves or by an establishment employee, under the supervision of the inspector.

The export stamp will bear the licence number of the shipping establishment. Alternatively, the export stamp could bear the producing establishment number if requested in writing by the operator of the producing establishment.

The rubber die of the stamp produces an oval, within which appears the word "Canada" and the number of the establishment. Next to the oval are the abbreviations "Cert. No. Cert." (certificate number), and a space for insertion of numbers (see Annex L: Official stamp for shipping containers). The operator may change the certificate number on the export stamp only when authorized by an inspector. The numbers to be inserted beneath the abbreviations must agree with those comprising the number of the certificate accompanying the shipment. Therefore, before boxes are stamped, one must verify that the selected number corresponds with the certificate number.

Ordinary ink, preferably black, of the type used to print on paper, cardboard or similar materials, should be used in all cases. Export stamp impressions must be complete, clear and legible, and be applied in a space reserved for that purpose.

In cases where a replacement certificate has to be issued and the number of the previous certificate has already been stamped on the boxes, the number of the previously issued certificate must appear on the replacement certificate. Moreover, the replacement certificate must bear the statement:

"This certificate replaces and supersedes certificate number (previous certificate number), issued on (date)."

Stickers (CFIA/ACIA 4091)

Export stickers (Annex M: Official export sticker) shall only be used on meat product destined for export to Switzerland and Russia under certain circumstances. The European Union (EU) requires that all shipping containers be sealed with health marks. Please see associated country sections in the Export requirements library for more country specific information.

Generally, the affixing of export stickers to cartons of meat products destined for storage before export is not permissible. An exception may be made, however, for well identified lots with known destination and for which export certificates have been duly completed pending imminent final loading.

The stickers shall be placed over the lid and bottom junction, or over an encircling strap of the carton. This procedure is intended to prevent any unauthorized tampering of the product.

The stickers guarantee that the shipment has received a final inspection before export and identifies the shipment to the certification.

Strict control shall be exercised over export stickers. A record should be kept of serial numbers of stickers in stock (see Annex P: Inventory Form). Every time stickers are used, the serial numbers shall be recorded with a reference to the serial number of the corresponding export certificate. As with certificates, stickers should be kept under lock and key. Export stickers shall be affixed under the control of an inspector (see Annex Q: Log Book).

Export stickers are an official form (CFIA/ACIA 4091). Forms Management group of the CFIA is responsible to provide each regional office with the applicable specifications for the form. The inspection legend appearing on the export stickers must conform to the dimensions specified in Annex M: Official export sticker. Each export sticker must bear a serial number. Inspectors will ensure that the serial numbers do not repeat. The serial number, together with the establishment licence number that is part of the inspection legend, makes exports stickers unique. Self-adhesive export stickers must be tamper evident. It is the responsibility of the operator of the establishment ordering self-adhesive export stickers to provide specifications for the paper and for the glue to be used to produce the export stickers. The inspector of the licensed establishment will be responsible for specifying which serial numbers are to be used on the export stickers ordered. The inspector will also be responsible for implementing the controls referred to above.

To order more stickers, operators must complete Part 1 of the order form provided in Annex O: Export Stickers Order Form and present it to the inspector.

Visual verification of the shipment

For establishments that have developed appropriate written export procedures for visual verification, approved by the inspector and maintained to the satisfaction of the inspector, the supporting documents from these procedures may be used as sufficient evidence to satisfy the requirement of Part 2, element 4 and element 5 without the inspector's presence. In the context of approved procedures as described above, verification of the total quantity of meat product indicated on Annex H (CFIA/ACIA 5344) may be achieved by the verification of these supporting documents instead of physically counting the boxes. Similarly, verification of transport container seal number recorded on the form (both official and company seals) may also be achieved by the verification of supporting documents instead of visual verification of the intact seal on the transport container doors. In the case of an official seal, it is understood that the use of the seal must receive prior authorization from the inspector.

When the load has been completely stamped or the stickers have been applied, it will then be presented for inspection in such a way that the verifying inspector and designated shipping establishment employee can have adequate access to the products to determine its eligibility for export. Alternatively, "continuous loading" in producing establishments where inspection staff is present to monitor preparation of export, can be considered acceptable.

Prior to signing Annex H (CFIA/ACIA 5344), certifying element 2 to element 5 of Part 2, the verifying inspector and designated shipping establishment employee will monitor the following items:

• product is in good condition and wholesome, for example, no apparent off condition odour, torn or damp cartons or other evidence of improper handling or storage;
• number of boxes/packages matches the number on the application form, which may be achieved by verifying supporting documents;
• correct export stamp/stickers has been applied on boxes/packages;
• product description on the labels on the shipping containers must match the product description on Annex H (CFIA/ACIA 5344) and the export certificate;
• label has all the mandatory information based on available information;
• additional export markings required, for example, marking "For export", marking "For pharmaceutical use", etc.

The visual verification of the above elements by the CFIA inspector may be accomplished on a representative sample of the load. The size of the sample is based on compliance history of the establishment, judgement of the inspector and supervisory direction.

The establishment management will endorse shipping element 2 to element 5 of Part 2 of Annex H (CFIA/ACIA 5344) once the aforementioned items have been verified and found satisfactory. When the shipping establishment is not the applicant's establishment, the inspector and the establishment management of the shipping establishment will endorse shipping element 2 to element 5 in the appropriate field of the additional endorsement section of Annex H (CFIA/ACIA 5344). Once the application is completed, it is to be returned to the inspector stationed at the applicant's facility.

Once the steps above have been successfully completed, the inspector at the applicant's facility will review the compliance of the export documents presented for signature. In this review process, the inspector will verify the concordance of the information presented on the Annex H (CFIA/ACIA 5344) with the information written on form CFIA/ACIA 1454 (see Completion of form CFIA/ACIA 1454 – Certificate of inspection covering meat products).