Background Banner

USMEF | Web Site Maintenance | As you may (or may not) know, www.usmef.org wa...

Published: Oct 24, 2003

USMEF

Web Site Maintenance

As you may (or may not) know, www.usmef.org was offline briefly on two separate occasions last Saturday and Monday. Our consultants will be performing maintenance, including hardware replacement and software updates, Saturday, October 25, at 4 A.M. Mountain Time. This maintenance may take as long as two hours to complete, but we should be back online by at least6 a.m.

Mexico

New Rule On Ham May Be Delayed

A new regulation on ham scheduled to come into effect on December 12, 2003, may be postponed until February. Mexican meat processors told government officials that the required changes to labels present logistical problems that may be impossible to resolve by mid-December, especially concerning existing inventories.

As it stands, however, the new regulation (NOM.158.SCFI.2003) requires that ham labeling must include the following in Spanish (much of which is already included in the customs declaration):

  • Protein and fat content
  • Whether it is totally or primarily (at least 55 percent) made out of turkey or pork
  • Other ingredients
  • Expiration date
  • Proper identification including address of manufacturer
  • Lot number
  • Brand
  • Kg/gr content
  • Country of origin
  • RDA
  • Refrigeration instructions

The objective of new regulation is to establish the commercial classifications of the different types of ham that are sold in Mexico.  It also establishes physical-chemical, microbiological and organoleptic specifications that these products must have, and the test methods to demonstrate compliance and commercial information that their packaging must contain.

Exporters should consult their distributors or representatives in Mexico to ensure compliance with the proposed new regulation.

For More Information, contact the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in Mexico at AgMexico@usda.govor by fax, 011-52-55-5080-2776.

USMEF

Web Site Maintenance

As you may (or may not) know, www.usmef.org was offline briefly on two separate occasions last Saturday and Monday. Our consultants will be performing maintenance, including hardware replacement and software updates, Saturday, October 25, at 4 A.M. Mountain Time. This maintenance may take as long as two hours to complete, but we should be back online by at least6 a.m.

Mexico

New Rule On Ham May Be Delayed

A new regulation on ham scheduled to come into effect on December 12, 2003, may be postponed until February. Mexican meat processors told government officials that the required changes to labels present logistical problems that may be impossible to resolve by mid-December, especially concerning existing inventories.

As it stands, however, the new regulation (NOM.158.SCFI.2003) requires that ham labeling must include the following in Spanish (much of which is already included in the customs declaration):

  • Protein and fat content
  • Whether it is totally or primarily (at least 55 percent) made out of turkey or pork
  • Other ingredients
  • Expiration date
  • Proper identification including address of manufacturer
  • Lot number
  • Brand
  • Kg/gr content
  • Country of origin
  • RDA
  • Refrigeration instructions

The objective of new regulation is to establish the commercial classifications of the different types of ham that are sold in Mexico.  It also establishes physical-chemical, microbiological and organoleptic specifications that these products must have, and the test methods to demonstrate compliance and commercial information that their packaging must contain.

Exporters should consult their distributors or representatives in Mexico to ensure compliance with the proposed new regulation.

For More Information, contact the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in Mexico at AgMexico@usda.govor by fax, 011-52-55-5080-2776.