FSIS NOTICE
66-23
ISSUE DATE
Dec 14, 2023
EXPIRATION DATE
Dec 01, 2024
PURPOSE
This notice provides instructions to inspection program personnel (IPP) at official import inspection establishments that raw intact beef products are eligible to be imported from Paraguay. The accompanying foreign inspection certificates provide assurance from Paraguay's Central Competent Authority (CCA) that these products were produced under an inspection system equivalent to FSIS requirements.
BACKGROUND
Paraguay was previously eligible to export meat to the United States. However, in 1997, FSIS notified the CCA that Paraguay was no longer eligible to export meat products to the United States because the country did not implement requirements to be equivalent under FSIS' final rule, “Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems” (61 FR 38806). Since that time, Paraguay has not been eligible to export raw beef products to the United States.
On March 24, 2023, after reviewing Paraguay's documented raw intact beef products inspection system and upon completion of audits of Paraguay's inspection system for beef slaughter and further raw processing, FSIS determined that Paraguay maintains an equivalent food safety inspection system for raw intact beef products. However, the country was ineligible to export raw intact beef products to the United States due to animal health restrictions imposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) related to foot-and-mouth disease.
On November 14, 2023, APHIS published a final rule, “Importation of Fresh Beef from Paraguay” to allow the importation of fresh beef from Paraguay under certain conditions, effective December 14, 2023. As a result, as of December 14, 2023, Paraguay is eligible to export raw intact beef products to the United States. Read More→ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/fsis-notice/66-23
