New cases of avian influenza in Montana and South Dakota have prompted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to put restrictions on several items entering Canada from the United States.
The restrictions affect all raw poultry, poultry products and byproducts that are not fully cooked, including eggs and raw pet food from states that have confirmed avian influenza cases.
Such products will not be allowed into Canada until further notice, the CFIA said in an April 2 news release.
The ban applies to any of the above listed items that were sourced, processed or packaged in Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Read Also
Canadian Canola Growers await info on Advance Payments Program changes
The Canadian Canola Growers Association says it’s waiting on more information from the federal government before it can double farmers’ access to interest-free canola advance payments.
The avian flu infecting some U.S. states is highly contagious, and the border measures are designed to protect Canadian birds from infection. There is no food safety risk, the CFIA said.
The CFIA listed the following examples of restricted products:
• Live birds and hatching eggs.
• Eggs, yolks, egg whites.
• Poultry meat, other than fully cooked, canned, commercially sterile meat products.
• Raw pet foods containing poultry products.
• Feathers.
• Poultry manure and litter.
• Laboratory material containing poultry products/byproducts.
Live pet birds are allowed if they have official certification from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Commercial imports of live poultry from the listed states will not be allowed until further notice.
Contact barb.glen@producer.com
