The import of heat-treated bovine meat from Pakistan that meets relevant requirements

Announcement No. 64 of 2023 by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China

In accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of China and the stipulations on the inspection, quarantine and veterinary hygiene requirements for heat-treated bovine meat imported from Pakistan by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the National Food Safety and Research Department of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the import of heat-treated bovine meat from Pakistan that meets relevant requirements is allowed as of the date of this announcement.

I. Basis for Inspection and Quarantine

(I) Laws, regulations and departmental rules:

Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China and Its Implementation Regulations, Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of the People’s Republic of China and Its Implementation Regulations, Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law of the People’s Republic of China and Its Implementation Regulations, Special Provisions of the State Council on Strengthening Supervision and Administration of Food Safety and Other Products, Measures for Supervision and Administration of Food Safety in Import and Export of the People’s Republic of China, Regulations on Registration Administration of Overseas Production Enterprises Exporting Food to China, etc.

(II) Bilateral protocol:

Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China and the National Food Safety and Research Department of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Inspection, Quarantine and Veterinary Hygiene Requirements for Heat-Treated Bovine Meat Imported from Pakistan to China

II. Products Allowed for Import

The heat-treated bovine meat allowed to be imported from Pakistan refers to meat products made from deboned and defatted skeletal muscle (cattle carcass after removal of hair, viscera, head, tail, and limbs below carpal and tarsal joints) of cattle less than 30 months of age, heat-treated with the internal core temperature reaching 70°C for at least 30 minutes. Products made with diaphragm, minced meat, chopped meat, tallow, mechanically separated meat and other by-products are not allowed to be exported to China.

III. Requirements for Exporting Enterprises

Enterprises exporting heat-treated bovine meat products to China (including slaughtering, cutting, processing and storage enterprises) shall be located in Pakistan, operate under the supervision of Pakistan authorities, and meet the requirements of China and Pakistan on veterinary hygiene and public health.

Enterprises exporting heat-treated bovine meat to China shall be registered with the Chinese side. Only heat-treated bovine meat produced after the date of registration can be exported to China.

IV. Relevant Inspection and Quarantine Requirements

(I) Animal disease control

Pakistan confirms it is free from rinderpest and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in its territory, and implements BSE prevention and control measures required by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), such as surveillance, feed ban, and cattle traceability system.

(II) Requirements for live cattle used for the production of heat-treated bovine meat exported to China:

1. Born, raised and slaughtered in Pakistan, with unique identification and traceability to the farm of origin through an official traceability system.

2. Originating from farms with no clinical cases of peste des petits ruminants, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, or bluetongue in the past 24 months.

3. Originating from farms with no clinical cases of lumpy skin disease, rabies, tuberculosis, paratuberculosis, anthrax, bovine viral diarrhea/mucosal disease, brucellosis, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, theileriosis, trypanosomiasis or hemorrhagic septicemia in the past 12 months.

4. Originating from farms that have not been under veterinary restrictions or surveillance due to the occurrence of cattle diseases notifiable to China, Pakistan and WOAH in the past 6 months.

5. Cattle are less than 30 months of age at slaughter, and have never been fed feeds containing ruminant meat-and-bone meal or greaves.

6. Cattle have not been vaccinated against anthrax in the past 14 days before slaughter.

7. Have had no contact with cattle not meeting these quarantine requirements or from non-registered enterprises in China, or other species during transportation to slaughter and at the slaughterhouse.

(III) Processing requirements

1. For live cattle used to produce heat-treated bovine meat exported to China:

(1) Born, raised and slaughtered in Pakistan, with unique identification and traceability to the farm of origin through an official traceability system.

(2) Have never been treated with veterinary drugs or feed additives prohibited by both sides.

(3) Slaughtered, cut, processed and stored in enterprises registered in China.

(4) Originating from farms that meet the requirements in this Announcement, and have undergone ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections in accordance with relevant laws and regulations of China and Pakistan, with eligible results. All slaughtered cattle shall be healthy, without any clinical symptoms of infectious diseases or parasitic diseases. The carcasses and viscera shall have no pathological changes, and the major lymphoid and glandular tissues shall be removed from the carcasses.

(5) Stunning methods by injecting compressed air or gas into the cranial cavity or pithing have not been used.

(6) All intestinal tracts (from duodenum to rectum, including the distal part of the ileum), thymus, spleen, tonsils, skull including brain, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cord, vertebral column including dorsal root ganglia, etc. have been effectively removed in a sanitary manner during processing without contaminating the exported bovine meat.

2. Implement Pakistan’s national residue monitoring plan to demonstrate that the residues of veterinary drugs, pesticides, heavy metals, food additives, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and other toxic and hazardous substances in the products do not exceed the maximum residue limits of China and Pakistan.

3. The products are produced under a HACCP-based quality assurance system and are not contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms, meeting the requirements of the laws and regulations of China and Pakistan.

4. The products are pre-treated by deboning, defatting and heating with the internal core temperature reaching 70°C for at least 30 minutes.

5. In case of major public health epidemics, necessary meat safety preventive measures shall be formulated according to relevant international regulations and standards to ensure no cross-contamination of meat throughout the entire process of raw material receiving, processing, packaging, storage and transportation.

6. The products shall be safe, hygienic and fit for human consumption.

7. The heat-treated bovine meat exported to China shall not be processed together with other types of animal products, products not meeting these quarantine requirements, products from other enterprises, or products not exported to China.

(IV) Storage requirements

Designated areas for storing heat-treated bovine meat for export to China shall be established in warehouses and clearly marked. The heat-treated bovine meat shall be stored in dry and well-ventilated places. It shall not be stored together with toxic, odorous, volatile, or corrosive substances. Products requiring refrigeration or freezing shall be stored under appropriate temperature conditions.

V. Certificate requirements

Each container/batch of heat-treated bovine meat products exported to China shall be accompanied by at least one original veterinary health certificate attesting that the batch of products meets the requirements of the laws and regulations of China and Pakistan as well as the bilateral protocol. The certificates shall be written in Chinese, Urdu and English (English is required for certificate contents). The format and contents of the certificates shall be agreed upon by both sides in advance.

VI. Packaging, storage, transportation and labeling requirements

The heat-treated bovine meat exported to China shall be packaged with food contact materials that meet the national food safety standards of China and Pakistan. The inner packaging shall be marked in Chinese and English with the product name, country of origin, registration number of producing enterprise, and production batch number. The outer packaging shall be marked in Chinese and English with the product name, country of origin, registration number of producing enterprise, production batch number, specifications, place of origin (specific to state/province/city), destination (shall indicate People’s Republic of China), production date (year/month/day), shelf life, storage temperature, etc., and stamped (glued or printed) with official inspection and quarantine marks. Prepackaged heat-treated bovine meat products shall also meet the requirements of China’s laws, regulations and standards on food labeling.

The entire process of packaging, storage and transportation of heat-treated bovine meat exported to China shall meet the relevant hygiene requirements of China and Pakistan to prevent contamination by pathogenic microorganisms or toxic and hazardous substances. Heat-treated bovine meat requiring refrigeration shall be stored and transported under appropriate temperature conditions. After loading into containers, seals shall be affixed under the supervision of Pakistan authorities, and the seal numbers shall be listed on the veterinary health certificates. Packaging shall not be opened or replaced during transportation.

This is announced for compliance.

General Administration of Customs

June 11, 2023