Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Export of Animal Protein Feed from Spain

In accordance with the regulations regarding quarantine and sanitary requirements for animal protein feed established by China Customs and the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, effective immediately, the importation of products meeting the following requirements is permitted:

I. Basis for Inspection and Quarantine

(1) *Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China*;

(2) *Law of the People's Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine* and its Implementing Regulations;

(3) *Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Inspection and Quarantine of Import and Export Feed and Feed Additives*;

(4) *Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of the Kingdom of Spain on Quarantine and Sanitary Requirements for Spanish Animal Protein Feed Exported to China*.

II. Scope of Permitted Import Products

Animal protein feed refers to porcine-derived protein feed, including porcine-derived intestinal mucosa protein powder, meat meal, bone meal, meat and bone meal, as well as blood products (such as blood meal, plasma protein powder, hemoglobin powder, etc.).

III. Requirements for Production Enterprises

(1) Approved by the relevant competent authorities in Spain and operating legally;

(2) Implementing a sanitary management system based on the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP);

(3) Subject to supervision and inspection by the relevant competent authorities in Spain to ensure that their production and processing operations consistently comply with relevant Spanish safety and sanitary management regulations, and have not been subject to restrictions due to safety or sanitary issues;

(4) Recommended to China Customs by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and duly registered with China Customs.

IV. Raw Material Requirements

(1) Raw materials derived from ruminants shall not be used, and effective measures shall be implemented to prevent contamination by ruminant-derived ingredients.

(2) The animals from which the raw materials are derived shall originate from regions free of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Classical Swine Fever (CSF), Swine Vesicular Disease (SVD), and other notifiable swine diseases as stipulated in the *Terrestrial Animal Health Code* of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH); furthermore, such regions shall comply with WOAH standards and be recognized by China Customs.

(3) The animals from which the raw materials are derived shall have been born and raised within the European Union (EU) and slaughtered at slaughterhouses officially approved by Spain; following ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections, they shall be free of any symptoms of infectious diseases that would render them unsuitable for use as feed ingredients.

(4) The animals from which the raw materials are derived shall not have been subject to movement restrictions or culled due to animal disease outbreaks.

(5) Regarding African Swine Fever (ASF): if the raw materials are derived from swine raised within Spain, they shall comply with the requirements of the *Cooperation Agreement on the Regionalization Management of African Swine Fever* signed between China and Spain.

(6) For porcine intestinal mucosal protein, only porcine small intestines shall be used as raw material.

V. Production and Processing Requirements

(1) Subjected to heat treatment at a core temperature of no less than 90ºC for at least 15 minutes, or processed using other equivalent methods that comply with EU regulations and are recognized by China Customs; alternatively, animal-derived raw materials must undergo heat treatment at a temperature of no less than 90ºC for at least 15 minutes, or be subjected to other equivalent treatments that comply with EU regulations and are recognized by China Customs.

(2) Blood products shall be manufactured using a spray-drying process, wherein the inlet air temperature of the spray-drying equipment is no less than 220ºC and the outlet air temperature is no less than 80ºC; furthermore, the material resulting from the spray-drying process must be continuously held in an environment with a temperature exceeding 60ºC for at least 20 minutes.

(3) The production and processing process shall be free from the addition of prohibited substances, such as animal-derived raw materials of unidentified species or raw materials derived from ruminants.

(4) Effective measures shall be implemented during and after production to prevent contamination; finished blood products must be stored in a finished-product warehouse (maintained at a room temperature exceeding 20ºC) for a period of at least 20 days.

VI. Product Requirements

Prior to export to China, products intended for shipment shall undergo random sampling conducted by the competent authority under the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in accordance with an approved monitoring plan, to ensure that the exported goods comply with the following requirements:

(1) Tested for the presence of ruminant-derived ingredients using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method—or other methods recognized by China Customs—at a laboratory accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; the test results must be negative (indicating the absence of ruminant-derived ingredients). The minimum detection limit for ruminant-derived DNA using the PCR method shall be 0.1%.

(2) Compliant with the requirements regarding *Salmonella* and *Enterobacteriaceae*:

1. *Salmonella*: Not detected in 25 grams of product; n=5, c=0, m=0, M=0.

2. Enterobacteriaceae: Per 1 gram of sample: n=5, c=2, m=10, M=300;

Where:

n — The number of samples tested;

m — The minimum bacterial count (threshold); if the bacterial count in all samples does not exceed m, the result is considered satisfactory;

M — The maximum bacterial count; if the bacterial count in one or more samples equals or exceeds M, the result is considered unsatisfactory;

c — The number of samples with a bacterial count falling between m and M; provided that the bacterial counts in the remaining samples are less than or equal to m, the result is still considered acceptable.

VII. Packaging, Labeling, and Storage & Transport Requirements

(1) Packaging shall be safe, clean, well-sealed, moisture-proof, and resistant to damage;

(2) The outer packaging of the product shall bear a Chinese label. This label must clearly indicate the name and registration number of the production and processing enterprise, display specific text such as "非供人类食用" or "仅用于饲料生产" and comply with the relevant requirements for feed labeling stipulated by Chinese laws, regulations, and national standards;

(3) Effective measures shall be implemented during transport to prevent contamination.

VIII. Pre-Export Inspection and Certification Requirements

(1) Products destined for China shall undergo inspection and quarantine conducted by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. A sanitary certificate—issued in accordance with the certificate specimen mutually agreed upon by both parties—shall be provided to certify that the products comply with the requirements of the *Protocol*;

(2) Each batch of products destined for China must be accompanied by at least one original official sanitary certificate.

IX. Entry Inspection and Quarantine Requirements

(1) Quarantine Approval.

Importing enterprises shall apply for and obtain an *Import Quarantine Permit for Animals and Plants* in accordance with relevant regulations.

(2) Verification of Certificates and Documents.

1. Verify whether an *Import Quarantine Permit for Animals and Plants* is attached;

2. Verify whether the goods originate from a registered enterprise;

3. Verify the authenticity and validity of the sanitary certificate.

(3) Cargo Inspection.

In accordance with relevant laws, administrative regulations, rules, and other provisions—and in conjunction with the requirements of this Announcement—China Customs shall conduct inspection and quarantine on animal protein feed imported into China from Spain. Goods that pass the inspection and quarantine shall be permitted entry.

(4) Handling of Non-compliant Cases.

1. In any of the following circumstances, the goods shall be returned or destroyed: absence of a valid sanitary certificate; origin from a Spanish production enterprise that is not registered; discrepancies between the goods and the accompanying documents; discovery of soil, animal carcasses, animal excreta, or quarantine pests that cannot be effectively treated through quarantine measures; or labels that do not meet the required standards and cannot be corrected.

2. If testing reveals that safety and hygiene parameters do not comply with China's feed hygiene standards, the goods shall undergo decontamination, be returned, or be destroyed.

3. In the event of loose packages or ruptured containers, the cargo owner or their agent shall be responsible for repacking and restoring them to good condition. If the damaged packaging poses a risk of spreading animal or plant diseases, the contaminated site, items, and equipment shall undergo quarantine treatment.

4. For enterprises where serious issues are detected or which repeatedly fail inspections, China Customs shall implement measures such as intensified quarantine inspections or the suspension of imports.

GACC