Export Alert Regarding Documentation for Shipments to Mexico
Export Alert Regarding Documentation for Shipments to Mexico
Companies exporting meat products to Mexico are urged to pay particularly close attention to export documentation. USMEF understands that while staff of Senasica (Mexico’s Food Safety Inspection Agency of the Secretariat of Agriculture) often have made corrections to export documents at the border in the past, there likely will be less leniency at this time.
USMEF encourages exporters to ensure that the shipment description on export documents mirrors the name, plant number and other details on the FSIS list of approved plants for export to Mexico. In addition, exporters should take extra care to comply with all import requirements contained in the FSIS export library for Mexico. Otherwise, there may be delays at the border or shipments may be turned away.
Residue Testing
USMEF also wants to remind exporters of residue testing protocols for exports to Mexico:
1) A sample of 250 grams is cut from every load. This sample is then sent to an approved laboratory to be checked for one of nine toxic residues. The procedure to select which residue will be tested may follow any of these options:
- In one single day the same test can be applied to all shipments.
- Each shipment gets a different test.
- All loads are subject to a random selection of testing.
2) A list of residue limits is available from USMEF. Please contact Courtney Heller at cheller@usmef.org.
Defect Sampling
In addition, Mexican inspectors look for specific numbers and types of product defects. If there are more than a specified number of defects, the load will be rejected. See the attached ‘Official Mexican Norm “Specifications and Procedures for the Verification of Imported Meat, Carcasses, Variety Meats and Offal at Animal Health Verification Points”’ document for details.
Export Alert Regarding Documentation for Shipments to Mexico
Companies exporting meat products to Mexico are urged to pay particularly close attention to export documentation. USMEF understands that while staff of Senasica (Mexico’s Food Safety Inspection Agency of the Secretariat of Agriculture) often have made corrections to export documents at the border in the past, there likely will be less leniency at this time.
USMEF encourages exporters to ensure that the shipment description on export documents mirrors the name, plant number and other details on the FSIS list of approved plants for export to Mexico. In addition, exporters should take extra care to comply with all import requirements contained in the FSIS export library for Mexico. Otherwise, there may be delays at the border or shipments may be turned away.
Residue Testing
USMEF also wants to remind exporters of residue testing protocols for exports to Mexico:
1) A sample of 250 grams is cut from every load. This sample is then sent to an approved laboratory to be checked for one of nine toxic residues. The procedure to select which residue will be tested may follow any of these options:
- In one single day the same test can be applied to all shipments.
- Each shipment gets a different test.
- All loads are subject to a random selection of testing.
2) A list of residue limits is available from USMEF. Please contact Courtney Heller at cheller@usmef.org.
Defect Sampling
In addition, Mexican inspectors look for specific numbers and types of product defects. If there are more than a specified number of defects, the load will be rejected. See the attached ‘Official Mexican Norm “Specifications and Procedures for the Verification of Imported Meat, Carcasses, Variety Meats and Offal at Animal Health Verification Points”’ document for details.