New [US] Verification Program for Closed-Faced Sandwich Exports to Canada

The [US] Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Agricultural Marketing Service have established an export verification program designed to verify establishments’ control of closed-faced sandwiches destined for Canada. Once the program is implemented Feb. 1, 2016, only establishments participating in this program will be able to export closed-faced sandwiches to Canada.

Among other things, Canada is requiring that closed-faced sandwiches be produced under a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plan. Under the program, the sandwiches will be produced in establishments that are under FSIS’ voluntary reimbursable inspection service and are operating under conditions that are as consistent as practical with those under which other post-lethality exposed meat and poultry products are produced under 9 CFR 430. Closed-faced sandwiches are under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration but that agency does not require that the sandwiches be produced under a HACCP plan.  

This has been posted on 2 November 2015 in the Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg Trade Report.