In order to avoid unnecessary delays at the border, exporters should confirm that the exporting establishment is properly listed with the Korean authorities prior to export.
Exporters must be aware that Korea implements chemical residues [Maximum Residue Limit (MRL)] and microbiological requirements for meat products that may differ from Canadian requirements. Imported products are subject to testing on arrival in Korea and may be rejected when found out of compliance. Specific requirements also apply to the use of tenderizers, ultraviolet rays and ionising radiation in the production of beef and beef products and operators are responsible to ensure compliance with applicable requirements.
Exporters must also be aware that in the event (an) additional case(s) of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) occur(s) in Canada, the Korean government, upon recognition of the additional case(s) of BSE, will suspend quarantine inspection on the imported beef from Canada. The Korean government will lift the quarantine suspension measure without delay when it determines that the beef for export does not pose a public health hazard to its people under the Contagious Animal Disease Prevention Act of Korea. If the Korean government determines that it does pose a public health hazard to its people, it can take measures to suspend the importation of the beef for exportation into Korea to protect the health and safety of its people.
11.7.3.2 Import prohibitions or restrictions
11.7.3.2.1
The importation of bovine meat products is subjected to restrictions (see paragraph 11.7.3.2.2) and processing lines used to produce non eligible beef products must not be used for processing meat products intended for export to Korea.
11.7.3.2.2 Bovine meat products
Definition and prohibitions
"Cattle" means domesticated bovine animals (Bos taurus and Bos indicus) that were born and raised in Canada or legally imported into Canada from a country deemed eligible by the Korean government to export beef to Korea.
"Specified Risk Materials" (SRMs) means:
tonsils and distal ileum from cattle of all ages; and
brains, eyes, spinal cord, skull and vertebral column from cattle 30 months of age and over at the time of slaughter.
"Beef for export" includes all edible parts including bones, which are produced out of cattle less than thirty (30) months of age at the time of slaughter. However, "beef for export" excludes SRMs: brains, eyes, spinal cord, skull and vertebral column (excluding vertebrae of the tail, transverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and wings of the sacrum) of cattle less than thirty (30) months of age at the time of slaughter; all mechanically recovered meat (MRM)/mechanically separated meat (MSM); advanced meat recovery products (AMR); intestines from duodenum to rectum; ground meat and processed beef products. Imported meat products are also excluded.
"Food-safety hazard" means any biological, chemical or physical property that may cause food to be unfit for human consumption.
"Serious non-compliance" means a food-safety hazard in a shipped product or a food-safety hazard found during a system audit.
Requirements/restrictions
Canada must be free from foot-and-mouth disease for the past twelve (12) months and from rinderpest, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, lumpy skin disease and Rift Valley fever for the past twenty-four (24) months, and Vaccination must not have been carried out against the aforementioned diseases.
Cattle to produce beef for export must not be suspected or confirmed BSE cases, or confirmed progenies or cohorts of BSE cases.
The age of cattle at the time of slaughter must be verified to be less than thirty (30) months of age by the documentation authorized by the Canadian government. However, in the event that the identification is not available by the documentation, dentition shall be used to verify the age of cattle.
"The beef for export shall be derived from cattle that were slaughtered in meat establishments which are approved by the Korean government and that passed ante- and post-mortem inspection conducted by a CFIA inspector under the supervision of the resident official veterinarian from the Canadian government.
The beef for export shall be derived from cattle that were not subjected to a stunning process prior to slaughter, with a device injecting compressed air or gas into the cranial cavity or to a pithing process.
The beef for export shall be produced and handled in a manner which ensures that it does not contain and is not contaminated with SRM, mechanically recovered meat/mechanically separated meat (MRM/MSM), and advanced meat recovery product (AMR).
The beef for export must be packaged with clean and sanitary material.
Production, storage and transportation of the beef for export must be handled in such a manner as to prevent contamination by communicable animal disease pathogens.
Refrigerator or cold storage rooms on a vessel (aircraft) or container that transports the beef must be sealed by using the seal of the Canadian government or the Canadian government-authorized seal. An official veterinarian of the Canadian government must verify this in accordance with the routine CFIA verification procedures (annex H) and issue a health certificate.
Requirements applicable to establishments
Establishments (slaughterhouses and processing plants) shall be designated by the Canadian government as being eligible for producing beef for export to Korea, and such establishments shall be notified to the Korean government in advance, and approved by the Korean government through on-site inspections or other means. However, all federally registered storage establishments are eligible to ship beef products which are produced at the approved slaughter and processing plants. See Annex 1 for the list of establishments which have been approved by Korea.
Establishments that produce beef for export to Korea shall have in place and operate proper control programs that include the determination of age, removal of SRM, identification of carcass and offal eligible for export and removal of ineligible parts for export.
Operators of establishments where eligible beef/beef products are manufactured for export to Korea must develop, implement and maintain effective and verifiable control programs for ensuring compliance with all additional Korean requirements. Where eligible and non-eligible products are manufactured at the establishment, the control measures must ensure that non-eligible products can be distinguished from those that are eligible through receiving, processing, shipping and distribution. The controls must include monitoring, verification and deviation procedures.
The Korean government can conduct on-site inspections and investigate the original records on the establishment for export to Korea, and can take measures including suspension of the export of the establishment if serious non-compliance with requirements listed in this section is found. When the Canadian government informs the Korean government of the completion of the corrective actions for the non-compliance of the relevant establishment, the Korean government confirms whether the corrective actions were taken appropriately through on-site inspection or other means. When the Korean government determines that the result of corrective actions is adequate, the Korean government can lift the suspension of exportation. The Korean government can rescind the approval of the establishment concerned if repetitive incidents of serious non-compliance are identified.
11.7.3.2.3
Korea does not allow the importation of products derived from cervidae.
11.7.3.2.4
Korea does not allow the importation of poultry meat products.
11.7.3.2.5
Prepared pork products must be derived from animals born or raised in Canada for at least three (3) months before slaughter. Casings imported from a third country, including Canadian casings processed in a third country and re-imported to Canada, must not be used in the production of sausages intended for export to Korea.
11.7.3.2.6
Operators of establishments, where eligible and non-eligible products are handled, must develop, implement and maintain control programs to ensure that non-eligible products can be distinguished from those that are eligible through receiving, processing, shipping and distribution.
The control programs must be reviewed and be acceptable to the inspector in charge and must include monitoring, verification and record keeping activities, deviation procedures and be auditable and effective.
*Refer to Annex 1 for the list of approved establishments*
11.7.3.3 Specific or additional inspection procedures
Beef and beef products
As part of the approval procedures, the control programs developed by the operator must be reviewed by and be acceptable to the inspector in charge and must include monitoring, verification and record keeping activities, deviation procedures and be auditable and effective. The verification of the implementation and maintenance of the control programs by the operator will be performed using routine inspection procedures.
In the event that a serious non-compliance is identified, the CFIA shall immediately suspend the issuance of export certificates for beef of the relevant establishment, and inform the Korean government of reasons and relevant information regarding the matter. Only when the Canadian government determines that the corrective actions are adequate will production be allowed to resume. After completion of the corrective actions by the relevant establishment, the CFIA will inform the Korean government.
11.7.3.4 Additional certification
The following documents are required:
Beef/beef products
Annex A must be issued
Note: Issuance of certificate must be suspend