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Conditions for importing meat products from Japan

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1. Meat Inspection systems approved

1.1 Bovine: slaughter, cutting, deboning and edible meat by-products, natural salted animal intestinal casings.

1.2 Processing (for meat inspection system approved)

2. Types of meat products accepted for import (based on animal health restrictions)

2.1 Fresh meat and raw meat products (chilled or frozen) including bone-in and boneless cuts, meat by-products, natural salted animal intestinal casings (Finished raw ground beef product [FRGBP] and precursor material intended to be used for production of FRGBP are not allowed to be exported):

2.1.1 Meat and meat products derived from bovine of Japanese origin - see sections 3.1, 3.2, and 4.1 for additional certification attestations required.

2.1.2 Natural salted casings derived from bovine of Japanese origin – see section 3.2, and 4.1 for additional certification attestations required

2.1.3 Meat and meat products derived from imported meat and meat products originating from Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) approved countries and establishments - see sections 3.3, and 4.1 for additional certification attestations required.

2.1.4 Edible Meat by-products derived from bovine of Japanese origin – see sections 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 for additional certification requirements

3. Additional animal health certification attestations required on the Official Meat inspection Certificate (OMIC)

3.1 For deboned skeletal muscle meat (excluding mechanically separated meat) derived from bovine of Japanese origin:

"I hereby certify that:

3.1.1 The meat and/or meat product are derived from bovines which:

3.1.1.1 Were born and raised in Japan or have been in Japan at least 90 days prior to slaughter.

3.1.1.2 Have not been in contact within the last 90 days with any animal from a country or zone not officially recognized free of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), at the time of slaughter.

3.1.1.3 Have been slaughtered in an establishment located in a country or zone officially recognized free of FMD.

3.1.1.4 Were found to be free of any signs suggestive of FMD or any other serious epizootic diseaseFootnote 1 on ante mortem and post mortem inspection.

3.1.1.5 Were not subjected to a stunning process, prior to slaughter, with a device injecting compressed air or gas into the cranial cavity, or to a pithing process involving laceration, after stunning of the animal, of the animal's central nervous tissue by means of an elongated rod-shaped instrument that is introduced into the animal's cranial cavity.

3.1.2 The deboned skeletal muscle meat has been prepared in a manner to avoid contamination with tissues listed in Article 11.4.14 of World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH; founded as Office International des Épizooties (OIE)) Terrestrial Animal Health Code.

3.1.3 Every precaution was taken to prevent direct or indirect contact during the slaughter, processing and packaging of the meat and meat products with any animal product or by-product derived from bovine of a lesser zoosanitary status."

3.2 For meat and meat products other than listed in section 3.1 derived from bovine of Japanese origin including natural salted intestinal casings:

"I hereby certify that:

3.2.1 The meat and/or meat product are derived from bovines which:

3.2.1.1 Were born and raised in Japan or have been in Japan at least 90 days prior to slaughter.

3.2.1.2 Have not been in contact within the last 90 days with any animal from a country or zone not officially recognized free of FMDFootnote 1, at the time of slaughter.

3.2.1.3 Have been slaughtered in an establishment located in a country or zone officially recognized free of FMDFootnote 1.

3.2.1.4 Were found to be free of any signs suggestive of FMD or any other serious epizootic diseaseFootnote 1 on ante mortem and post mortem inspection.

3.2.1.5 Were not subjected to a stunning process, prior to slaughter, with a device injecting compressed air or gas into the cranial cavity, or to a pithing process involving laceration, after stunning of the animal, of the animal's central nervous tissue by means of an elongated rod-shaped instrument that is introduced into the animal's cranial cavity.

3.2.2 Japan complies with conditions of Article 11.4.3 of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Terrestrial Animal Health Code, and

Either:

3.2.3 The product does not contain any tissues from any imported ruminant born and raised in the first year of its life from a country of controlled or undetermined risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) as recognized by Canada,

or

The product contains tissues from animals imported from countries of controlled BSE risk, and the meat and meat products do not contain mechanically recovered meat from the skull and vertebral column of bovine animals aged 30 months or older; and the meat and meat products do not contain, were not prepared from or were not contaminated with: (i) distal ileum of all ages of bovine animals, and (ii) palatine tonsils, the skull including the brain, trigeminal ganglia and eyes, the spinal cord and the vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum), from bovine animals aged 30 months or older.

and/or

The product contains tissues from animals imported from countries of undetermined BSE risk and any visible nervous and lymphatic tissues exposed during deboning were removed; and the meat and meat products do not contain mechanically recovered meat from the skull and vertebral column of bovine animals aged 12 months or older; and the meat and meat products do not contain, were not prepared from or were not contaminated with (i) distal ileum of all ages of bovine animals, and (ii) palatine tonsils, the skull including the brain, trigeminal ganglia and eyes, the spinal cord and the vertebral column, (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum), from bovine animals aged 12 months or older.

3.2.4 Every precaution was taken to prevent direct or indirect contact during the slaughter, processing and packaging of the meat and meat products with any animal product or by-product derived from bovines of a lesser zoosanitary status."

3.3 For meat and meat products prepared from meat and meat products imported into Japan:

"I hereby certify that any imported meat ingredient in the meat and meat products:

3.3.1 Was legally imported into Japan from a country and establishment eligible to directly export beef and beef products to Canada, and

3.3.2 Every precaution was taken to prevent direct or indirect contact during the handling, processing and packaging of the meat product with any animal product or by-product derived from animals of a lesser zoosanitary status, and

3.3.3 The meat inspection certificate with which the meat was imported into Japan is kept on file at the Japanese processing establishment for verification purposes for a minimum of 2 years following the importation."

4. Additional, other than animal health, certification attestations required on the OMIC

4.1 For all meat and meat products:

"I hereby certify that:

4.1.1 The meat products covered by this certificate have been derived from animals that were humanely rendered unconscious in a reversible or irreversible manner prior to being bled, or were slaughtered in accordance with Judaic or Islamic ritual."

5. For edible meat by-products

"I hereby certify that:

5.1 The edible meat by-products were harvested hygienically and are considered edible by Canadian standards.

5.2 Japan has been free of Foot and Mouth Disease for at least 12 months prior to slaughter.

5.2.1 The beef edible meat by-products were derived from cattle which were not subjected to a stunning process, prior to slaughter, with a device injecting compressed air or gas into the cranial cavity or to a pithing process

5.3 The edible meat by-products were derived from animals which:

5.3.1 Were humanely rendered unconscious, in a reversible or irreversible manner and, prior to being bled, or were slaughtered in accordance with Judaic or Islamic rituals

5.3.2 Passed ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections.

5.4 Every precaution was taken to prevent direct or indirect contact during the slaughter, processing, packaging and storage of the edible meat by-products with any animal product or by-product derived from animals of a lesser zoosanitary status.

6. Establishments eligible for export to Canada

6.1 Refer to the List of foreign countries establishments eligible to export meat products to Canada.

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