Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Export of Pet Foods from Canada

According to the regulations of the Chinese Customs and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency regarding quarantine and sanitary requirements for pet food exported to China, effective immediately, the import of Canadian pet food meeting the following requirements is permitted:

I. Inspection and Quarantine Basis

(i) The Biosafety Law of the People's Republic of China;

(ii) The Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and its implementing regulations;

(iii) The Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Inspection and Quarantine of Imported and Exported Feed and Feed Additives;

(iv) The Arrangement between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency regarding quarantine and sanitary requirements for Canadian pet food exported to China.

II. Scope of Permitted Imported Products

Pet food refers to industrially processed and manufactured products intended for direct consumption by pets (dogs and cats), including dry food, canned food, snacks, and chew toys.

III. Requirements for Animal Sources

The source animals for pet food ingredients exported to China shall meet the following requirements:

(i) They shall not be ruminants (except for milk and dairy products) or aquatic mammals;

(ii) They shall not be animals illegally hunted or caught;

(iii) They shall not be animals that have died from animal diseases;

(iv) They shall not be animals whose movement is restricted or culled due to the control or eradication of animal diseases;

(v) Terrestrial animals must be slaughtered in slaughterhouses approved by the relevant Canadian authorities, and after pre- and post-slaughter inspections, they shall show no clinical symptoms of animal infectious diseases that can be transmitted to animals or humans through the product.

IV. Raw Material Requirements

(i) They shall come from enterprises effectively regulated by the relevant Canadian authorities, comply with relevant Canadian laws, regulations, and safety and hygiene requirements, and be suitable for use in pet food production.

(ii) Animal-derived raw materials shall meet the following requirements:

1. Must not contain any ruminant-derived ingredients and must not be contaminated by ruminant-derived ingredients (except milk and dairy products);

2. Must originate from disease-free areas recognized by the Chinese side that comply with the regulations of the World Organisation for Animal Health;

3. Aquatic raw materials must be derived from aquatic animals (excluding aquatic mammals) and by-products generated during the production of products for human consumption, and the animals from which the raw materials originate must not exhibit symptoms of infectious diseases.
(iii) Animal-derived raw materials from countries outside Canada must be legally imported, have passed inspection and quarantine by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and be legally used in pet food production.

(iv) Plant-derived raw materials must not contain genetically modified ingredients not approved by the Chinese government.

V. Requirements for Production and Processing Enterprises

(i) Approved and legally operating by the relevant Canadian authorities;

(ii) Implementing a hygiene management system based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles;

(iii) Accepting supervision and inspection by the relevant Canadian authorities to ensure that its production and processing continuously comply with relevant Canadian safety and hygiene regulations and are not restricted due to safety and hygiene issues;

(iv) Registered with Chinese Customs upon recommendation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

VI. Production and Processing Requirements

The production and processing of pet food exported to China shall meet the following requirements:

(i) Production shall be organized in accordance with a sanitary management system approved or recognized by the relevant Canadian authorities, and key control points shall be effectively controlled;

(ii) The Canadian Food Inspection Agency shall conduct daily supervision of production and processing in accordance with relevant laws and regulations to ensure that the production and processing process continuously complies with relevant Canadian safety and hygiene management regulations;

(iii) Commercial sterile pet food shall be processed using a heat treatment method with an F0 value of not less than 3.0;

(iv) Extruded dry pet food shall be processed at least... (iv) Processed pet food shall undergo puffing and drying at a core temperature of 90ºC or higher, or other equivalent processing methods approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and recognized by Chinese Customs, to ensure the elimination of the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza, Newcastle disease, and other epidemics;

(v) Other processed pet food shall undergo heat treatment at a core temperature of 90ºC or higher, or other equivalent processing methods approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and recognized by Chinese Customs, to ensure the elimination of the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza, Newcastle disease, and other epidemics;

(vi) Effective measures shall be taken in accordance with the relevant requirements of the hygiene management system during the production process to avoid contamination by unapproved raw materials, foreign matter, etc.

VII. Product Requirements

(i) Permitted for free sale in the Canadian domestic market;

(ii) Possessing complete traceability;

(iii) Free from any prohibited substances as stipulated by Chinese laws and regulations or relevant Canadian food and feed safety legislation;

(iv) Not contaminated by unapproved raw materials or ingredients;

(v) Free from toxic or harmful substances that endanger animal health and comply with relevant safety and hygiene standards in China and Canada;

(vi) Before export, five samples shall be randomly selected from each production batch for testing. The test results shall meet the following requirements:

1. Commercially sterile pet food meets commercial sterility requirements;

2. Non-commercial sterile pet food must meet the following requirements:

Salmonella: Not detected in 25 grams: n = 5, c = 0, m = 0, M = 0;

Enterobacteria: n = 5, c = 2, m = 10, M = 300 in 1 gram;

Where:

n = Number of samples tested;

c = Number of samples with bacterial counts between m and M; if other samples have bacterial counts of m or less, the sample is still considered acceptable;

m = Bacterial count threshold; if the bacterial count in all samples does not exceed m, the result is considered acceptable;

M = Maximum bacterial count; if the bacterial count in a single sample or multiple samples is M or more, the result is considered unacceptable.

VIII. Packaging, Labeling, and Storage & Transportation Requirements

(i) Packaging materials must be brand new, clean, and have good sealing and moisture-proof properties, and be resistant to damage.

(ii) Packaging must be labeled in Chinese, and the label must comply with the requirements of China's "Regulations on Pet Food Labelling".

(iii) The outer packaging must indicate the name and registration number of the production and processing enterprise, and be marked with the Chinese characters "输往中华人民共和国" and "非供人类食用" or "仅用于宠物食用".

(iv) Effective measures must be taken to prevent contamination during the storage and transportation of pet food.

IX. Pre-Export Inspection and Certificate Requirements

Pet food exported to China is subject to inspection and quarantine by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which issues a health certificate proving that the product meets the requirements of the Arrangement. Each batch of pet food must be accompanied by a health certificate, one original and two copies.

X. Import Inspection and Quarantine Requirements

(i) Quarantine Approval.

Importing enterprises should apply for an "Import Quarantine Permit for Animals and Plants" in accordance with relevant regulations.

(ii) Document Verification.

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

2. Verify whether the product originates from a registered enterprise;

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

(iii) Cargo Inspection.

Chinese Customs, in accordance with relevant laws, administrative regulations, rules, and the requirements of this announcement, will conduct inspection and quarantine on pet food imported from Canada. Goods that pass inspection and quarantine will be permitted entry.

(iv) Handling of Non-Compliant Cases.

1. Goods will be returned or destroyed in any of the following circumstances: lack of a valid health certificate; originating from a non-registered Canadian manufacturer; discrepancies between goods and documents; discovery of soil, animal carcasses, animal excrement, or quarantine pests, making effective quarantine treatment impossible; or labels that do not meet standards and cannot be corrected.

2. If testing reveals that safety and hygiene items do not meet Chinese pet food hygiene standards, the goods will be treated for pest control, returned, or destroyed.

3. If loose packages or broken containers are found, the owner or agent is responsible for restoring them to their original condition. If the packaging is damaged and poses a risk of spreading animal or plant diseases, the contaminated site, goods, and equipment should be subject to quarantine treatment.

4. For manufacturers experiencing serious problems or repeated non-compliance issues, Chinese Customs may suspend their export licenses to China.

GACC