Agreement with China Regarding Imports of Food and Feed
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has signed an agreement with its equivalent in China that is meant to provide some assurance of safe food imports from China. The agreement provides for new registration and certification requirements, greater information sharing, and increased access to production facilities. Below is an excerpt from the HHS press release regarding this agreement.:
On December 11, 2007, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of the People’s Republic of China signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to enhance the safety of food and feed imported into the United States from China. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt and the Honorable Li, Minister of AQSIQ, signed the Agreement in Beijing in advance of the third session under the United States-China Strategic Economic Dialogue.
Specifically, the two countries are establishing a bilateral mechanism to provide greater information to ensure products imported into the United States from China meet standards for quality and safety. Implementation of the agreement will begin with a determined list of products, such as preserved foods (e.g. canned mushrooms, olives, various vegetables), pet food/pet treats of plant origin or animal origin, raw materials used in making manufactured foods (e.g. wheat gluten and rice protein used in canned and dry pet food for dogs and cats), and farm-raised fish (e.g. shrimp and catfish). The two sides can add additional products by mutual agreement.
The HHS press release regarding this agreement can be found at http://www.hhs.gov/news/facts/foodfeed.html.