United States of America – Export requirements for processed egg
CFIA, in consultation with the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), has initiated a comprehensive review of the Export library for the United States of America (USA) to remove outdated requirements and ensuring that this page reflects their updated United States (US) Egg Products Inspection Regulations that came into effect in 2020.
On this page
- Eligible/ineligible product
- Pre-export approvals by the competent authority of the importing country
- Production controls and inspection requirements
- Labelling, packaging and marking requirements
- Documentation requirements
- Additional information
1. Eligible/ineligible product
Eligible
- All processed egg products, including
- Freeze dried egg products
- Egg substitutes
- As part of the FSIS' new egg products rule, the above 2 categories are now also considered to be under the oversight of the FSIS. These were earlier regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA)
Note: Canada is considered one of the countries that have a system of inspection equivalent to the United States of America (USA).
Ineligible
- Information not available
2. Pre-export approval by competent authority of the importing country
Establishments
- Exporting processed egg establishments must be federally registered or licensed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
- Facilities exporting to the USA must also be on the Eligible Foreign Establishments list that is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) list of approved establishments
- Establishments seeking addition to the FSIS list must contact their CFIA regional office and submit the following documents
- letter to the CFIA, signed by the responsible company official, formally requesting addition to the FSIS list
- copy of the establishment licence or registration certificate
- details of different egg product categories intended for export (see Egg product categories)
- The CFIA recommends listing to the FSIS once information received from establishments is reviewed and considered complete
- Exporters are responsible to verify the establishment listing, before requesting an export certificate from the CFIA
Note: please note that FSIS has added the letter "E" to the registration numbers of Canadian egg products establishments to distinguish them from Canadian establishments producing meat/poultry products. To this effect, a note should be added to the export certificate in order to facilitate the controls at the border.
Egg product categories
HACCP process category
- eggs/egg products
Finished product category
- egg products
Species
- chicken
- turkey
Product group
- Pasteurized (frozen or liquid)
- whole egg, with or without added ingredients
- egg whites, with or without added ingredients
- egg yolk, with or without added ingredients
- egg products (blends of whole egg, egg whites and/or yolks), with or without added ingredients
- Pasteurized (tanker or large totes)
- whole egg, with or without added ingredients
- egg whites, with or without added ingredients
- egg yolk, with or without added ingredients
- egg products (blends of whole egg, egg whites and/or yolks), with or without added ingredients
- Unpasteurized (frozen or liquid)
- whole egg, with or without added ingredients
- egg whites, with or without added ingredients
- egg yolk, with or without added ingredients
- egg products (blends of whole egg, egg whites and/or yolks), with or without added ingredients
- Unpasteurized (tanker or large totes)
- whole egg, with or without added ingredients
- whole egg, with or without added ingredients
- egg whites, with or without added ingredients
- egg yolk, with or without added ingredients
- egg products (blends of whole egg, egg whites and/or yolks), with or without added ingredients
- Dried
- whole egg, with or without added ingredients
- egg whites, with or without added ingredients
- egg yolk, with or without added ingredients
- egg products (blends of whole egg, egg whites and/or yolks), with or without added ingredients
Label
Approval of new egg product labels
- USDA defines a new egg product as a product that the particular Canadian establishment has never shipped to the USA before
- Processed egg establishments or facilities wishing to export new egg products to the USA are required to submit information and supporting documents to the USDA for review
- product name
- process used for production
- include a process flow chart with time and temperature of pasteurization, and temperature of storage
- processing aids
- product ingredients
- product label copy
- USDA-FSIS Form 7234 Application for Approval of Labels, Marking or Device – PDF (474 kb) is to be provided to the USDA prior to the request for exporting the new product to the USA. See United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Label application Guidance link below for contact details
- Once a label is approved, the exporter must provide the CFIA with the letter of acceptance and the approved label from USDA
Prior notice
- The USA requires prior notice to import, which includes providing information on all food for use, storage or distribution in the United States
- Shipments of processed egg destined for the USA, require prior notification by your broker or the importer in the USA. This notification is provided electronically by completing USDA-FSIS Form 9540-1 Import Inspection Application (Meat, Poultry and Egg Products) – PDF (707 kb) and sending it to the USDA import mailbox: importinspection@fsis.usda.gov
3. Production controls and inspection requirements
- Products to be exported to the USA must be prepared under continuous supervision of an inspector as per 1034 (a) of Chapter 15 – Egg Products Inspection under Title 21 – Food and Drugs in the United States Code. Products under continuous supervision must be inspected, as per the Safe Food for Canadian Regulations (SFCR); and agreed upon by FSIS as being equivalent to the FSIS' New egg products rule.
- As per the new Egg products rule, FSIS now interprets "continuous inspection" in an egg products establishments as at least once per shift inspection. This equivalent to the processed egg product establishment receiving at least one visit by a CFIA inspector during each twelve (12) hour window of operation, every day while the establishment is in production. This is defined as Daily Shift Inspection Presence (DSIP).
Note: DSIP does not apply to establishments when they are only producing processed egg based products that fall under the sole jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for example, cooked eggs, and egg nog mixes.
- Processed egg produced at one station and shipped to another for processing is considered to be product from a feeder station. If the final product is processed for export to the USA, the production of the egg at the feeder station must also have received DSIP coverage.
Pasteurized processed egg products
- Exporters of pasteurized, finished processed egg products are required to schedule an inspection at an FSIS import inspection establishment at the United States-Canada border in advance.
- The USDA-FSIS PHIS requires United States importers (or designated agents) to complete USDA-FSIS : Form 9540-1 Import Inspection Application (Meat, Poultry & Egg Products) .
- Notification will occur when the United States importer (or its designated agent) files entry with Custom and Border Protection (CBP), provided this entry is made through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE).
- ACE will transmit data to PHIS, including the Customs Entry Number (CEN), Bill of Lading (BOL) number and the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) number.
- This information will provide FSIS with advance notice of the egg products shipment. Based on the notification, FSIS will generate inspection assignments through PHIS.
Unpasteurized products
- Exporters of unpasteurized egg products will be permitted to move their product directly to an official USDA processed egg establishment for inspection, rather than having to stop for inspection at an FSIS import inspection house.
Sampling of egg product for export
- All lots must be sampled by the establishment for:
- Salmonella
- Listeria
- Aerobic colony count (ACC)
- Coliforms
- Solids (where applicable)
- Moisture (where applicable)
- Odour
- Sample testing may be performed by the CFIA or a lab accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) or the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA).
- The results of the lab analysis must be provided to the CFIA for review, prior to, any export certification being completed.
As of February 21, 2020, the CFIA has obtained equivalency with the United States Department of Agriculture – Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) for Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Listeria spp. qualitative methods published in Health Canada's Compendium of Analytical Methods (CAM). These methods can be obtained from the Health Canada Compendium of Analytical Methods site. Note that the most recent published version of the method should be used. The "application" section of the method chosen must be appropriate for the intended purpose.
Industry must ensure that their laboratories and/or private accredited laboratories contracted for testing are informed of this equivalency.
Industry must inform their private laboratories that testing is submitted for a US eligible establishment and to follow these testing method(s).
- Health Canada Compendium of Analytical Methods (qualitative methods)
- USDA FSIS Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook
Should industry wish to use other methods, they must contact the Food Safety Science Services Division (FSSSD) of the CFIA, for FSSSD to determine equivalency and fitness for use.
Please note the following US import requirements for sample testing sizes
For Listeria testing in RTE meats and egg products, a 125 g portion must be analyzed. Swabs of environmental surfaces may be tested individually or composited (up to 10 swabs).
For Salmonella testing in egg products, a 100 g portion must be analysed.
In addition, FSIS will accept all methods for the above pathogens published in the USDA/FSIS Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook. Previous versions of MLG screening methods (specifically Listeria monocytogenes (8A.06), and Salmonella (4C.07) may continue to be used. To obtain copies of these versions of the screening methods, please contact FSIS Laboratory Quality Assurance, Response and Coordination Staff by mail or telephone:
FSIS Microbiology Section
Laboratory Quality Assurance Response and Coordination Staff, USDA/FSIS/OPHS
950 College Station Road
Athens GA 30605
Phone: 706-546-3559Please direct questions or comments to FSSSD at the following e-mail address: cfia.labcoordination-coordinationdeslaboratoires.acia@inspection.gc.ca
Export tankers
- In order to prevent contamination of processed egg product, tankers that are to be used to transport processed egg products must have been previously used to transport food products only.
- These tankers must be thoroughly washed, rinsed and sanitized. If the tanker has been cleaned in a place other than the processed egg product establishment, the wash certificate must be made available to the inspector.
- Tankers should be verified by the establishment for cleanliness, prior to loading product, to ensure that the cleaning process has been effective and that the tankers are visually clean.
- Although many tankers are now insulated, the product temperature of liquid egg may rise during transport. The processor should be aware of the maximum product temperature upon arrival at the customer.
- The USDA has stated that the temperature of liquid egg arriving by tanker must be at 4.4°C (40°F) or less upon arrival. This may mean loading the liquid egg at a temperature lower than 4.4°C (40°F) in Canada to ensure it meets the temperature requirement upon arrival in the United States.
Natural proportion whole egg
- Licenced or registered processed egg product establishments in Canada can export natural proportion whole egg to the USA.
- Natural proportion whole egg is the product that results from the unaltered break of shell eggs in a breaking station.
- This means that yolk or albumen is neither added nor removed from the liquid whole egg.
- This product does not have to meet the 24.2% solids requirement.
Failure to Present (FTP)
- The USDA-FSIS considers the failure to provide notification or to present shipped product at an import inspection establishment as a violation.
- Please consult the USDA-FSIS Fact Sheet: FSIS Import Inspection and Failure to Present (FTP) document for more information.
Canadian product returning from the United States
- Egg products enter the United States from Canada either as raw (unpasteurized) products intended for further processing or as pasteurized egg products for use directly as food or for use in the food system.
- Product may be rejected and returned to the Canada for the following reasons:
- incomplete and/or incorrect paperwork
- company name and/or product not recognized/listed as eligible to export to the USA
- failure to comply with standards based on inspection; and/or
- failure to comply with standards based on product testing
Note: The exporter should notify the CFIA of the returning product and the reason it was refused. The exporter is responsible to arrange for the return of the product.
4. Labelling, packing and marking requirements
- All labelling, packing and marking criteria must meet the USDA requirements, as per the applicable regulations
Shipping marks
- Shipping marks are used to associate a product with a certificate and are required by FSIS
- Use the CFIA export certificate number (CFIA/ACIA 2684) or an approved alternative as the unique shipping mark for each shipment
- The shipping marks may be applied on the shrink wrapped pallet for customers when the individual containers cannot be marked (for example, frozen pails)
- If a plant is shipping a pallet of pails and 1 tote to a customer for example, the pallets would be labelled with the shipping mark and the tote with the shipping mark followed by a "B"
- Information on the shipping mark should be stated in the remarks section of the export certificate CFIA/ACIA 2684 as well as on the USDA-FSIS Form 9540-1 Import Inspection Application (Meat, Poultry and Egg Products) – PDF (702 kb)
5. Documentation requirements
Certificate
- Certificate of Inspection for Processed Egg (CFIA/ACIA 2684)
The following statements and information must be written in the remarks section:
- "The product described was produced in accordance with the regulatory requirements in 9 CFR 590.910. Product was prepared under the continuous supervision of a CFIA inspector"
- Process CategoryFootnote 1
- Product CategoryFootnote 1
- SpeciesFootnote 1
- Product groupFootnote 1
- Shipping marks
- "The results were obtained from a lab that is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada or the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation" (if applicable)
- Temperature of the product when shipped in °F or °C
- Temperature at time of loading in °F for export tankers
- "Diversion set point for this product was 134°F" (for shipments of liquid or frozen pasteurized albumen)
- "Samples only – No commercial value" (for shipments of samples)
- CFIA official seal number, and date and time of sealing
- "Natural proportion whole egg" (if applicable). The statement "eggs were broken in natural proportion" should also be included
6. Other information
Samples to the United States
- Licensed processed egg establishments in Canada can ship samples of processed egg to customers for their personal use, display or laboratory analysis in the USA.
- Samples should not exceed 22.6 kg (50 lbs) of liquid, frozen or dried egg product, unless otherwise authorized by the USDA.
- The procedure that must be followed for these samples is as follows:
- Customer(s) in the USA must notify USDA prior to importing processed egg samples.
- Documentation for this notification shall be submitted to importinspection@usda.gov, in advance of the shipments arrival.
- The applicant must provide a USDA-FSIS: Form 9540-5 Notification of Intent to Import Meat, Poultry or Egg Products "Samples for Laboratory Examination, Research, Evaluative Testing, or Trade Show Exhibition"
- If the sample has received continuous inspection coverage by the CFIA, a Certificate of Inspection for Processed Egg (CFIA/ACIA 2684) will be issued.
- Plants must also complete a USDA-FSIS: Form 9540-1 Import Inspection Application (Meat, Poultry & Egg Products) when applicable.
- Certificates are to say clearly state "Samples only – No commercial value" in the remarks section.
Reinspection of products at entry
- All shipments of meat, poultry, and egg products that are offered for import into the United States must be presented for reinspection at a FSIS official import inspection establishment or at an alternative inspection location authorized by FSIS at the time of importation.
Relevant links:
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
- USDA FSIS Import Requirements
- Imported Food Products Containing a Small Amount of Meat, Poultry, or Processed Egg Product Ingredients
- Eligible Foreign Establishments
- FSIS Guidance for Importing Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products in the United States
- FSIS Guideline for Label Application
- Egg Products and Food Safety
- APHIS Veterinary Services Permitting Assistant
- Date modified: