The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails April 25, 2012, 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 said the U.S. submitted comments regarding table olives to an electronic working group from the Committee on Processed Fruits & Vegetables, and issued a report on pomegranate sizing and uniformity from an electronic working group of the Committee on Fresh Fruits & Vegetables. Details follow:
The North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) released draft standard RSPM 37 on phytosanitary measures to facilitate the trade of Christmas trees, reports the Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service. Proposed sections of the draft standard include general requirements, specific requirements for producers, requirements of the NAPPO exporting country, compliance with the importing country requirements, and non-compliance with the importing country requirements. Comments on the draft standard are due to Tyrone Jones at John.T.Jones@aphis.usda.gov by July 10, 2012.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said it will host, alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the “2012 Agriculture Stakeholder Conference: Pests Pathways, and Partnerships” on July 17-18, 2012, in Riverdale, MD. The two-day conference is to discuss the future of Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) initiatives and to garner input on how CBP and APHIS can better serve stakeholder needs. APHIS said the conference will bring together stakeholder groups representing the animal product, plant product, and shipping industries as well federal and state regulatory officials to engage in an open dialogue centered on pest exclusion efforts and trade facilitation.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued a Federal Order to restrict importation of plants for planting known to be hosts of Phytophthora ramorum. Therefore, APHIS is requiring specific countries to have in place an annual pest exclusion program that incorporates monitoring, sampling, testing and a validation process to verify the absence of P. ramorum in a place of production.
On April 24, 2012, the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:
The Food Safety and Inspection Service said the Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) is meeting April 23-28 in Shanghai. The Committee is considering proposed maximum residue limits, revision of the Codex Classification, etc. Details follow:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails April 24, 2012, 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 nation's fourth case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) (aka Mad Cow disease) has been confirmed in a dairy cow from central California, announced the Department of Agriculture. According to USDA, the carcass of the animal is being held under State authority at a rendering facility in California and will be destroyed. USDA says that the cow was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human health.
On April 23, 2012, the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports: