Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Honey from Tanzania to China
I. Inspection and quarantine basis
(I) Laws and regulations.
China Food Safety Law and its implementing regulations, China Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine Law and its implementing regulations, China Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law and its implementing regulations, the State Council's Special Provisions on Strengthening the Supervision and Management of Food and Other Product Safety, and China Import and Export Food Safety Management Measures, China Import and Export Food Safety Management Regulations, etc.
(II) Bilateral Protocol.
China Customs and Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism on Inspection, Quarantine and Veterinary Health Requirements for Honey Exported to China Protocol.
II. Products allowed for import
The Tanzanian honey allowed for import refers to the natural sweet substance that is fully brewed after bees collect nectar, secretions or honeydew from plants and mix it with their own secretions.
III. Requirements for production enterprises
The processing enterprises of honey exported to China shall be registered with China Customs. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania shall review the honey processing enterprises to be exported to China and recommend them to the Chinese Customs if they are found to comply with the laws, regulations, standards and requirements of this Protocol of China Customs. Unregistered honey processing enterprises shall not export to China.
IV. Inspection and Quarantine Requirements
(I) Bees that provide raw materials for honey exported to China must meet the following conditions:
1. They must come from apiaries located in Tanzania, which shall be registered and effectively supervised by the competent department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania.
2. The nectar, secretions or honeydew collected by bees should be safe and non-toxic and shall not come from toxic nectar plants and genetically modified plants.
(II) The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania confirms that there is no bright fever laetrile in its territory.
(III) There is no American bee larval foulbrood disease and European bee larval foulbrood disease within a radius of 5 kilometers around the apiary and within 12 months before the product is exported to China.
(IV) Quarantine requirements for Varroa mite disease in honey bees: the bee farm from which the honey comes and the surrounding radius of 5 km and the product are not infected with Varroa mite within 12 months before being exported to China; or it has been filtered using a filter with a pore size not exceeding 0.42 mm; or it has been heated to a core temperature of 50°C and maintained at this temperature for 20 minutes; or it has been frozen to a core temperature of -12°C or lower and maintained at this temperature for at least 24 hours to ensure that Varroa mite disease and its eggs in honey bees are killed, and necessary measures are taken to effectively remove the remains of mites and their eggs.
(V) Quarantine requirements for bee beetle disease (honeycomb beetle): The bee farm from which this batch of honey comes is free of bee beetle (honeycomb beetle) infection; or has been filtered using a filter with a pore size not exceeding 0.42 mm; or heated to a central temperature of 50°C and maintained at this temperature for 24 hours; or frozen to a central temperature of minus 12°C or lower and maintained at this temperature for at least 24 hours to ensure that bee beetle disease and its eggs are killed, and necessary measures are taken to effectively remove the remains of bee beetles and their eggs.
V. Production, storage and transportation requirements
(I) The bee farm that provides raw materials for the production of honey exported to China has never used veterinary drugs banned in China and Tanzania.
(II) The honey exported to China comes from processing enterprises that have established a traceability system to ensure that the honey exported to China can be traced back to its bee farm.
(III) The residual amounts of veterinary drugs, pesticides, microorganisms, heavy metals and other environmental pollutants in honey exported to China do not exceed the maximum limits of China and Tanzania.
(IV) During the epidemic of major public health diseases, enterprises shall carry out epidemic prevention and control in accordance with relevant international standards, formulate necessary honey safety prevention and control measures, and ensure that the prevention and control measures are effective and not cross-contaminated during the whole process of raw material reception, processing, packaging, storage and transportation.
(V) Honey products exported to China are hygienic, safe and suitable for human consumption.
(VI) Honey exported to China shall comply with the relevant health requirements of China and Tanzania during the whole process of processing, storage and transportation to prevent contamination by toxic and harmful substances. Honey exported to China shall not be processed or mixed with products that do not meet the requirements of the Protocol, products of non-registered processing enterprises, and other products of registered processing enterprises.
(VII) The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania shall mark all stages from bee farms to processing, packaging and storage. An independent finished product warehouse or special area for storing honey exported to China shall be set up and clearly marked.
(VIII) After the goods are loaded into the container, they shall be sealed under the supervision of officials of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania, and the seal number shall be indicated in the veterinary health certificate. The packaging shall not be opened or changed during transportation.
VI. Certificate requirements
Each container/batch of honey exported to China shall be accompanied by at least one original health certificate to prove that the batch of products complies with the relevant laws and regulations on veterinary and public health of China and Tanzania and the relevant provisions of this Protocol.
The veterinary health certificate shall be written in Chinese, Swahili and English. The format and content of the veterinary health certificate shall be approved by both parties in advance.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania shall provide the inspection and quarantine seal impression, health certificate sample, list of authorized visa personnel and corresponding signature style, anti-counterfeiting label instructions and other materials to the Chinese Customs for filing. If there are any changes or modifications, they shall be notified to the Chinese Customs at least one month in advance.
VII. Packaging and labeling requirements
Honey exported to China must be packaged with food contact materials that meet the national food safety standards of China.
The packaging must be sealed and shall indicate the product name, product specifications, place of origin (specific to state/province/city), manufacturer registration number, production batch number, destination (the destination shall be marked as the People's Republic of China), production date (year/month/day), shelf life and other contents in Chinese.
Pre-packaged honey exported to China should also comply with China's laws, regulations and standards on pre-packaged food labels.
GACC
Oct. 25, 2024
