The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced on Aug. 2 that it would no longer regulate ten organisms at ports of entry, as the National Plant Board concurs with its recommendation to change the regulatory status to non-actionable for these pests.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service released its final report on the case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, aka mad cow disease) discovered in California in April. According to the report, the results of APHIS’ investigation confirmed that at no time was the U.S. food supply or human health at risk, and that the U.S.’s longstanding system of interlocking safeguards against BSE continues to be effective.

On Aug. 2 the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails Aug. 2 announcing changes to some Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service revised export requirements and plant lists for the following countries for July 28 - Aug. 2:

The Food Safety and Inspection Service said the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) is inviting member countries and observer organizations to participate in the following six electronic working groups:

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said it's reevaluating its process for responding to domestic chrysanthemum white rust (CWR) outbreaks and the import of plant material that hosts CWR. The import of CWR host plants for planting from some countries and localities is currently prohibited to prevent the introduction of CWR into the U.S. In addition, APHIS said, import of cut flowers of CWR host plants from countries where CWR is known to occur is currently restricted. APHIS is reevaluating its current regulatory strategy in order to improve the effectiveness and economic efficiency of its programs. After reviewing public comments, APHIS will determine whether to propose changes to its existing regulations, it said. Comments are due by Oct. 2.

On Aug. 1 the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails Aug. 1 announcing changes to some Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

The Agricultural Marketing Service issued a final rule amending the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances for organic products by: (1) extending the expiration date for use of tetracycline in organic crop production to control fire blight in apples and pears until Oct. 21, 2014; and (2) adding two substances, formic acid and attapulgite, along with any restrictive annotations, for use in organic livestock production and organic processing, respectively. AMS said these changes are in response to recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) on Oct. 28, 2010, and April 29, 2011.