The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) prohibition on Canadian products became effective May 20, 2003, at 1:30 pm E.S.T.

As a result of this prohibition, a number of agricultural products exported from Canada are no longer permitted to move through the US under bond. This is necessary to safeguard America’s agriculture. Immediate Transport (IT) and Transportation and Exportation (T&E) shipments of prohibited Canadian origin animal products/by-products should not be allowed to transit through the United States. All efforts should be made to stop these shipments at the northern border.

The following items are prohibited (i.e., they cannot enter or transit under USDA BSE regulations or policies). Shipments of these items should not be permitted to transit through the US. This is applicable to items of Canadian origin that have been sourced from Canadian ruminants.

1. Live ruminants (includes all animals that chew the cud, such as cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, deer, elk, antelopes, camels and llamas).
2. Ruminant meat (regardless of how it was processed).
3. Ruminant meat products/by-products (e.g., extracts, cubes, bouillon, sauces).
4. Ruminant offal (e.g., internal tissues such as liver, kidney, tongue, kidney, brain).
5. Ruminant glands (e.g., adrenal, pancreas, thymus, thyroid, pituitary).
6. Ruminant gland extracts/derivatives (e.g., hormones from glands).
7. Ruminant casings (unless derived from hide collagen or from bovine stomach).
8. Processed animal proteins (rendered* products such as meat-and-bone meal, meat meal, bone meal, blood meal, protein meal, hoof meal, and dried blood).
9. Animal feed (unless exclusively of milk or non-animal origin).
10. Pet food containing ruminant derived ingredients.
11. Milk replacers containing animal fat (e.g., tallow) or non-milk animal protein.
12. Nutritional supplements, nutriceuticals, and dietary supplements containing ruminant derived ingredients shipped in bulk and in final finished form.
13. Ruminant blood.
14. Ruminant blood products (e.g., plasma and antibodies).
15. Animal vaccines containing ruminant derived components.
16. Ruminant bones (commercial shipments).
17. Ruminant antlers**.
18. Ruminant cartilage and chondroitin sulfate.
19. Ruminant tankage (i.e., dry, defatted, high-protein material resulting from rendering).
20. Tallow, but not tallow derivatives.
21. Processed and unprocessed ruminant fat and oils.
22. Ruminant manure and composted manure.
23. Ruminant urine.

Certain items have a restricted status under USDA BSE regulations and policies, meaning they would be eligible to enter or transit through the US with additional documentation. Such documents include a Veterinary Services permit or an official Canadian Government certificate. For example, fish meal which is derived from a non-ruminant species would be eligible to enter or transit the US if accompanied by a Veterinary Services permit.

Ineligible shipments should be detained and referred to CBP Agriculture for further review and/or inspection.

In the event a prohibited or an ineligible restricted shipment has not been stopped at the border, and is located at an interior port, the following process should be used.

1. Issue an Emergency Action Notification (EAN) that requires either re-export back to Canada or to another country (excluding Mexico) by air or sea. Do not allow export to Mexico as the Mexican authorities have indicated that they are refusing entry to the same products as the US. It is the responsibility of the exporter to determine if the importing country will accept the shipment.
2. If the shipment cannot be exported from the port it is detained in, the shipment should be allowed to transit overland to another port for export by air or sea. The shipment must first be sealed with a USDA seal and the exporting port notified in advance.
3. Shipments should not be held longer than 72 hours in the exporting port.

*Rendering is a process by which animal tissue is treated by heat or chemical processes to separate fat from protein and mineral components.

**Antlers from Canada are enterable for personal use, if there are no more than two complete sets.

If officers have questions concerning this alert, please contact your local Agriculture Quarantine Inspection – Veterinary Medical Officer (Appendix H of the APM), or APHIS’ Plant Protection and Quarantine, Veterinary Regulatory Support at 301-734-7633.

/s/
Mary S. Neal,
Associate Commissioner,
Agriculture Inspection Policy and Programs