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Egg Products

Animal Health Import Procedures

AHPD-DSAE-IE-2001-5-3
(AH-96-EGG-OVO-02)
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Commodity Characteristics:

Egg products include:

• Unfertilized Whole Eggs;
• Egg Shells;
• Egg Yolk;
• Egg Albumen or any combination of these products in a liquid, dried, frozen or fresh form.

The following egg products have been processed and therefore the risk of introducing exotic avian diseases into Canada is considered negligible. These products (originating from countries other than the USA) must still be referred to the inspector as per section 41.1(1). For these products, appropriate description on the Canada Custom Invoice (CCI) is acceptable documentation to enable shipment release.

• Decorative egg shells;
• Mooncakes;
• Cooked canned, commercially sterile edible birds nest;
• Cooked canned, commercially sterile quail eggs;
• Egg products as an ingredient for human food.

Hatching eggs are excluded from this directive and are treated as live animals.

Procedures

Egg Products for use in Poultry Feed:

From USA:

May be imported if Canada Border Service Agency determines that the country of origin is the United States as per Section 41.(1) of the Animal Health regulations.

From countries designated free from Velogenic Newcastle disease, highly pathogenic avian influenza (fowl plague) and from establishments which are free of fowl typhoid and pullorum diseases:

may be imported as per section 53 of the Regulations if the person produces a certificate signed by an official of the government of the country of origin that shows that the country of origin or part thereof is a designated country or part thereof and that the establishments from which the egg products come from are free of fowl typhoid and pullorum diseases.

Risk: Low

From Non-Designated Countries:

may be imported if under an import permit or if the person produces a certificate signed by an official of the government of the country of origin stating that the products have been subjected to one of the following treatments:

• Albumen - Minimum temperature of 54 degrees Centigrade for at least 3.5 minutes;
• Egg Yolk or whole egg - Minimum of 61 degrees Centigrade for at least 3.5 minutes;
  OR
• any other equivalent treatment as determined by CFIA headquarters.

Risk: Medium

Regulated Egg Products as such for any use other than Animal Feed:

From USA:

may be imported if Canada Border Service Agency determines that the country of origin is the United States as per Section 41.(1) of the Animal Health regulations.

From countries designated free from Velogenic Newcastle disease and highly pathogenic avian influenza (fowl plague):

may be imported if a person produces a certificate signed by an official of the government of the country of origin that shows that the country of origin or part thereof is a designated country or part thereof according to Section 41.(2).

Risk: Low

From Non-Designated Countries:

may be imported with an import permit or if a person produces a certificate signed by an official of the government of the country of origin stating that the products have been subjected to one of the following treatments:

• Albumen - Minimum of 54 degrees Centigrade for at least 3.5 minutes;
• Egg Yolk or whole egg - Minimum of 61 degrees Centigrade for at least 3.5 minutes;
  OR
• any other equivalent treatment as determined by CFIA headquarters.

Risk: Medium

Edible Bird's Nests (Other Than Cooked Canned Commercially Sterile):

may be imported if a person produces a certificate signed by an official of the government of the country of origin stating that the products have been subjected to the following treatment:

• Edible bird's nests - Minimum temperature of 100 degrees Centigrade for at least 1 hour.

Any other treatment would require an import permit and a case-by-case evaluation by CFIA headquarters.

The following statements must also be included on the certificate:

• complete description of the shipment including appropriate shipping marks and maritime container number (if applicable);
• all bird's nests in the shipment have been inspected and found to be free of any faeces, ectoparasites, feathers and surface dirt.

Visual Inspection Required

The inspector should ensure that the bird's nests are clean. Dirty shipments are to be refused entry.

Preserved 100 Year Old Eggs and Salted Duck Eggs:

may be imported if a person produces a certificate signed by an official of the government of the country of origin that describes the quantity and type of eggs in the shipment and includes appropriate shipping marks and the maritime container number (if applicable) as per section 34.(2).

The following statements must be included on the certificate:

• all eggs in the shipment originated from flocks that are clinically free from Velogenic Newcastle disease and fowl plague (highly pathogenic avian influenza);
• all eggs in the shipment have been inspected and found to be free from all visible surface dirt prior to processing;
• all eggs in the shipment have been candled and found to be non-embryonated and free of blood clots and blood spots;
• Preserved "100 year old" duck eggs or Salted Preserved Duck eggs:
  they have been soaked in a solution comprised of water, tea-leaf, salt, quick lime and alkali for at least 45 days; OR have been encased in a coating of rice straw, ash, water and salt for at least 30 days. The coating must not contain soil;
• all packing materials are clean and new and do not contain soil, hay, straw or fodder
• in the case of "frozen duck egg yolks" the salted duck eggs from which the yolks are derived have been encased in a coating of straw ash, water and salt for at least 30 days prior to extraction of the yolks. The yolks have been frozen and packaging material is clean.

Visual Inspection Required:

The inspector should randomly select one egg per dozen (to a maximum of 12 eggs) to ensure that the surface of selected eggs, under the ash coating is clean and free from adhering dirt, soil, feathers and ectoparasites. Shipments of dirty eggs should be refused entry.

After surface examination, the selected eggs should be broken to check their appearance;

"Preserved 100 year old eggs" the contents of these eggs should be dark and jelly-like.

"Salted Preserved Duck Eggs" the albumen position should be clear and resemble the albumen of a raw egg, the yolk, however, should be solid and jelly-like.

In either case if the eggs are raw, the shipment should be refused entry.

Risk: High

Implementation:

This directive relates to Animal Health import requirements and does not remove any obligation to the Canadian importer to comply with the import requirements of other Canadian Food Inspection Agency programs and/or other departments, such as the Food of Animal Original Division, Health Canada the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

Date of last amendment: December 20, 2005