AFIA applauds safer Chinese feed

Six months in the making, the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on Dec.
11, 2007 will result in a legally binding set of commitments from
China.

Newman said, “This agreement is a major step toward realizing the
feed safety objectives of the Association.”

The MOA was signed in Beijing
in advance of the third session under the United States-China Strategic Economic
Dialogue.

It provides for a bilateral mechanism to ensure the safety of
feed and food products shipped to the US from China. Implementation will begin
with a select set of products, including pet foods and wheat and rice
gluten.

Key highlights

• Chinese firms exporting to the US must
  register and submit to annual inspection to insure the products meet FDA
  standards.

• AQSIQ (Administration of Quality, Supervision, Inspection and
  Quarantine) will notify FDA (Federal Drug Administration) of all firms that fail
  inspections or discontinue registration.

• AQSIQ will implement a tracing and
  tracking system from production of raw materials to export of finished
  product.

• AQSIQ will implement a statistical based sampling program of products
  for export.

• Certified Chinese products will be issued a certificate with a unique
  number that China will also supply to FDA.

• FDA will develop a system to notify
  China of non-registered products or those without certificates arriving at US
  ports.

• Each country will mutually notify the other within 48 hours of
  contamination incidents.

• FDA will be given greater access to Chinese facilities
  for inspection.

• An AQSIQ/FDA Working Group will be established to
  implement the agreement.

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