Import Health Standard for Turkey Meat and Meat Products

Contents

The information in this Import Health Standard is in five parts:
Part A. Introduction
Part B. General requirements
Part C. Specified requirements for identified risk organisms
Part D. Equivalence
Part E. Appendices
Appendix 1 - Production system outline requirements
Appendix 2 - Compartment requirements

Part A. Introduction

Background

1. Under section 22 of the Biosecurity Act, this document is the Import Health Standard for Turkey Meat and Meat Products.

2. A guidance document will be issued by MAF to accompany this Import Health Standard. The document will provide guidance information relevant to how requirements may be met.

3. Consignments of product imported into New Zealand for human consumption in New Zealand must comply with the Food Act 1981. These requirements are independent of the import health standard requirements.

4. A biosecurity clearance, under section 26 of the Biosecurity Act 1993, may be issued when the turkey meat and meat products meet all the requirements of this import health standard.

Scope

5. This standard specifies the requirements that must be met to import turkey meat and meat products into New Zealand.

6. For the purposes of this standard, turkey meat and meat products means one or more of the following:

  • Whole turkey carcasses that have been subject to routine evisceration procedures (including head-and-feet-on carcasses);
  • Bone-in turkey meat and meat products;
  • Boneless turkey meat and meat products;
  • Reconstituted turkey meat and meat products.

7. Turkey meat and meat products imported into New Zealand must be:

  • Derived from any member of the domesticated avian sub-species Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo; and
  • Derived from birds slaughtered at or after 8 weeks of age; and
  • Derived from birds slaughtered in processing plants which operate effective Good Management Practice (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) programmes.

8. The turkey meat and meat products must meet the general requirements contained in Part B of this standard and the specific requirements contained in Part C of this standard where they apply.

Outcomes

9. All imports of turkey meat and meat products must be subject to risk management measures for specified risk organisms. Based on the likelihood of risk organism entry and/or establishment in New Zealand and consequent impacts. 

10. The risk organisms associated with turkey meat and meat products that are subject to specific risk management requirements are:

  • Avian paramyxovirus-1, Newcastle disease virus 
  • Highly pathogenic notifiable avian influenza virus
  • Salmonella arizonae 
  • Avian paramyxovirus-2 (APMV-2) and APMV-3
  • Turkey coronavirus
  • Turkey viral hepatitis

11. For each risk organism, specific risk management requirements are specified in Part C using the general format:

  • Country, zone or compartment* freedom; or
  • Specified measures to verify premises and/or flock freedom; or
  • Specified thermal treatment.

Definitions

12. The definitions below relate to requirements for importing the consignment:

Abattoir
Premises (including facilities for moving or lairaging animals) used for the slaughter of animals to produce animal products and approved by the Official Veterinarian of the Veterinary Authority of the exporting country.
Ante mortem inspection
An Official Veterinarian or Veterinary Authority approved veterinarian inspection on the day of slaughter to determine freedom from clinical signs of infectious diseases in turkey flocks destined for product for export to New Zealand.
Biosecurity Manual
A plan that identifies potential pathways for the introduction and spread of disease in a zone or compartment, and describes the measures which are being or will be applied to mitigate the disease risks, if applicable, in accordance with the recommendations in the OIE Code. A Biosecurity plan must comply with the OIE Code Chapters on zoning and compartmentalisation and application of compartmentalisation.
Carcase
The processed body of a slaughtered animal after evisceration procedures. For the purposes of the standard for turkey meat and meat products, carcasses may be uncooked, unskinned and may include the head and feet.
Compartment
An animal subpopulation contained in one or more establishments under a common biosecurity management system with a distinct health status with respect to a specific disease or specific diseases for which required surveillance, control and biosecurity measures have been applied for the purpose of international trade.
Giblets
Edible components of the carcase removed during routine evisceration.
Flock
A number of birds of one kind kept together and share the same likelihood of exposure to a pathogen e.g. the same environment and the same management practises.
Post mortem inspection
An Official Veterinarian or Veterinary Authority approved veterinarian necropsy inspection at slaughter to determine freedom from gross pathological signs of infectious diseases in turkey flocks destined for product for export to New Zealand.
Reconstituted meat
Reconstituted meat is known as meat slurry or emulsified meat. It is a liquefied meat produce used as a meat supplement in foods such as chicken nuggets and food for domestic animals. Poultry is the most common meat slurry.
For the purposes of this Standard reconstituted turkey meat products are processed turkey comprised of only turkey meat and skin.
Zone
A clearly defined part of a territory containing an animal subpopulation with a distinct health status with respect to a specific disease for which required surveillance, control and biosecurity measures have been applied for the purpose of international trade.

Part B. General requirements

Approved countries

13. Turkey meat and meat products may only be imported into New Zealand from countries approved by MAF. A list of approved countries is included in the guidance document for this standard.

Documentation

14. The documentation that accompanies the consignment to New Zealand must consist of:

  • Veterinary certificate – signed and stamped on every page by an Official Veterinarian of the Veterinary Authority of the exporting country or MAF approved alternate security features offered by paper certificates; and
  • Laboratory reports – original or certified copies; and
  • Permit to import issued under the Biosecurity Act.

15. The documentation must be:

  • Original, unless otherwise specified; and
  • Attached to the imported goods; and
  • In English or have an English translation.

Approval of export systems

16. All turkey meat and meat products must be derived from a production system that is approved by MAF.

17. Production system approval requires a production system outline to be submitted to MAF. This must meet the requirements as detailed in Part E, Appendix 1 and be endorsed by the exporting country’s Veterinary Authority.  In the case of a specific disease free compartment, a biosecurity plan must also be submitted and must meet the requirements as detailed in Part E, Appendix 2.

18. MAF approval of the production system outline (+/- biosecurity plan) is required prior to an importer/exporter submitting an application for a permit to import for a consignment.

19. MAF reserves the right to audit facilities from countries approved to export product to New Zealand.

Processing

20. Birds must be slaughtered in an abattoir approved by the Veterinary Authority for export of turkey meat and meat products to New Zealand, and passed ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection.

Laboratory

21. Laboratory testing must be conducted at a laboratory approved by the Veterinary Authority of the exporting country, to conduct the required export testing.

22. Where flock testing options are used to satisfy specified requirements for identified risk organisms (Part C), sampling of birds for diagnostic testing must be randomised, and representative of the flock from which the product is derived and samples must be collected under the supervision of the Official Veterinarian.

23. Laboratory samples from birds must be collected, processed, and stored in accordance with the recommendations in the OIE Code and/or Terrestrial Manual, and/or specified by MAF.

24. OIE prescribed diagnostic test(s) for international trade must be used unless otherwise stated in the standard.

Inspection

25. Any documentation accompanying the consignment must be inspected on arrival by an inspector. The inspector may also inspect the consignment, or a sample of the consignment on arrival.

Packaging and storage

26. The commercially prepared and packaged product for export has been stored and subsequently transported in a hygienic manner and is free of contaminants.

27. The container in which the product for export is to be transported must be sealed under Veterinary Authority supervision and the unique seal number and date of sealing must be recorded on the veterinary certificate.

Retorted product

28. The requirements for retorted product are stated in the MAF Import Health Standard for: Importing Specified Foods for Human Consumption Containing Animal Products.

Part C. Specified requirements for identified risk organisms

Avian paramyxovirus (APMV-1), Newcastle disease (ND)

29. The product for export is derived from flocks with a vaccination status of:

  • Not vaccinated for ND;

    • or
  • Vaccinated for ND using an inactivated vaccine;

    • or
  • Vaccinated with a live lentogenic vaccine strain where sequence analysis of the F0 gene has demonstrated no more than two basic amino acids between residues 113 and 116 and no phenylalanine at residue 117;

AND EITHER

30. The product for export is derived from birds kept in a country/zone/compartment free from ND virus since hatching or for the 21 days before export, with current OIE Code surveillance requirements being met to claim freedom from ND;

OR

31. The product for export has been cooked and reached a core temperature of one of the following:

    (i) 65°C for 840 seconds; or
    (ii)70°C for 574 seconds; or
    (iii) 74°C for 280 seconds; or
    (iv) 80°C for 203 seconds.

Highly pathogenic notifiable avian influenza (HPNAI)

EITHER

32. The product for export is derived from birds kept in a country/zone/compartment free from HPNAI since hatching or for the 21 days before export, with current OIE Code surveillance requirements being met to claim freedom from HPNAI;

OR

33. The product for export has been cooked and reached a core temperature of one of the following:

    (i) 60°C for 507 seconds; or
    (ii) 65°C for 42 seconds; or
    (iii) 70°C for 3.5 seconds; or
    (iv) 73.9°C for 0.51 seconds.

Salmonella arizonae

EITHER

34. The product for export is derived from turkeys in a country/zone/compartment free from S. arizonae as demonstrated by surveillance, conducted in accordance with Chapter 6.4 and 6.5 of the OIE Code, and approved by MAF;

OR

35. The product for export is derived from turkey breeding flocks, hatcheries, and rearing farms free from S. arizonae, as demonstrated by surveillance conducted in accordance with Chapter 6.4 and 6.5 of the OIE Code;

OR

36. The turkey meat is derived from flocks demonstrated to be free of S. arizonae by testing at least 60 birds within the 7 day period before slaughter with either:

    (i) Salmonella culture on samples of pooled faeces or intestinal content; or
    (ii) A MAF approved diagnostic test;

OR

37. The product for export has been cooked and reached a core temperature of one of the following:

    (i) 60°C for 2030 seconds; or
    (ii) 62°C for 1073 seconds; or
    (iii) 65°C for 370 seconds; or
    (iv) 70°C for 41 seconds; or
    (v) 72°C for 19 seconds; or
    (vi) 74°C for 9 seconds; or
    (vii) 76°C for 4 seconds; or
    (viii) 79°C for 1 second.

Avian paramyxovirus-2 (APMV-2) and APMV-3

EITHER

38. The product for export does not include entire turkey carcasses;

OR

39. The product for export includes entire turkey carcasses and one of the following three requirements apply:

  • The turkey carcasses are derived from birds kept in a country/zone/compartment free from APMV-2 and APMV-3 since hatching or for the 21 days before export in accordance with the surveillance requirements, approved by MAF;
    or
  • The turkey carcasses are derived from flocks demonstrated to be free of APMV-2 and APMV-3 by testing at least 60 birds within the 7 day period before slaughter with either:
    (i) Virus isolation on samples of pooled faeces or intestinal content; or
    (ii) A MAF approved diagnostic test;
    or
  • The turkey carcasses have been cooked and reached a core temperature of one of the following:
    (i)65°C for 840 seconds; or
    (ii) 70°C for 574 seconds; or
    (iii) 74°C for 280 seconds; or
    (iv) 80°C for 203 seconds.

Turkey coronavirus (TCV)

EITHER

40. The product for export does not include entire turkey carcasses and is free from bursal tissue;

OR

41. The product for export includes entire turkey carcasses and one of the following three requirements apply:

  • The turkey carcasses are derived from birds in a country/zone/compartment where no known case of TCV has been recorded;
    or
  • The turkey carcasses are derived from flocks demonstrated to be free of TCV by testing at least 60 birds within the 7 day period before slaughter with either:
    (i) RT-PCR on samples of pooled faeces or intestinal content; or
    (ii) A MAF approved diagnostic test;
    or
  • The turkey carcasses have been cooked and reached a core temperature of one of the following:
    (i) 65°C for 840 seconds; or
    (ii) 70°C for 574 seconds; or
    (iii) 74°C for 280 seconds; or
    (iv) 80°C for 203 seconds.

Turkey viral hepatitis

EITHER

42. The product for export does not include entire turkey carcasses, and is free from liver, pancreatic and intestinal tissue;

OR

43. The product for export includes entire turkey carcasses which were derived from birds slaughtered in a Veterinary Authority approved abattoir with documented evidence that demonstrates liver condemnation rates less than 2%.

Part D. Equivalence

44. The requirements for importation of turkey meat and meat products are met if, in the opinion of the Director General, the measures taken for managing the risks associated with the importation of those goods are equally effective at managing those risks as the requirements specified in (1) to (43) above.  If an equivalence measure(s) is approved, MAF will issue a permit to import (under Section 22 of the Biosecurity Act).

Part E. Appendices

Appendix 1 - Production system outline requirements

The production system from which New Zealand imports turkey meat and meat products must be specifically approved by MAF on the basis of a production system outline submission. This will clarify the systems used to meet the specific risk management requirements of the import health standard and OIE Code recommendations, where risk mitigation measures refer to the OIE Code.
The production system outline will require all farms and processing plants, associated with product for export to New Zealand, to meet the standards set out in their production system outline.
MAF reserves the right to audit facilities from countries approved to export product to New Zealand,

The following steps must be addressed prior to an application for a permit to import:

1. A production system outline, endorsed by the exporting country’s Veterinary Authority, is submitted to MAF.

2. The production system outline is approved by MAF as meeting all requirements of the bilaterally agreed veterinary certificate (this work will be prioritised by MAF and the timeline for completion will be subject to available resource).

The production system outline must include the following:

3. Location of establishments identified in all parts of the production cycle. The production cycle refers to all operations between and including the hatching and the processing plant(s) associated with a consignment for export to New Zealand.

4. Specific detail of the turkey farm health monitoring and surveillance programmes for risk organisms to meet the requirements of this standard. Including the following:

  • Diagnostic tests used;
  • Frequency and timing of testing;
  • Number of birds tested and associated flock sizes;
  • Measures taken in case of positive results;
  • Relevant historical laboratory reports;
  • Flock management  practises from hatching through to slaughter e.g. all-in-all-out;
  • Vaccination (including details about all vaccines administered to birds for slaughter e.g. type, manufacturer’s recommendation, registration for the use in turkeys etc.).

5. Evidence of current operation of the following:

  • Good Management Practice (GMP)
  • Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) programme

6. Evidence of laboratory approval by the Veterinary Authority for export of turkey meat and meat products to New Zealand.

7. Evidence of abattoir approval by the Veterinary Authority and the standard operating procedures in place for ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections in accordance with the OIE Code.

8. Specific detail of the precautions used during processing, storage and transport to avoid contact of the commodity with risk organisms.

Note - Changes to the production system within a current approval period, specified in the permit, must be notified to MAF.
A permit to import from MAF serves as evidence of approval of the production system outline. Once provided to the prospective importer/exporter the permit to import shall be valid for 12 months.

Appendix 2 - Compartment requirements

The following steps must be addressed prior to an application for a permit to import:

1. A biosecurity plan, according to the OIE, and endorsed by the exporting country’s Veterinary Authority is submitted to MAF.

2. The biosecurity plan is approved by MAF as meeting requirements of a specific disease free compartment (this work will be prioritised by MAF and the timeline for completion will be subject to resource availability).

3. Records of procedures and systems (including test results) of all establishments forming the compartment, for at least the 12 months preceding the application for an import permit, must be available on request.

4. Approval of the biosecurity plan by MAF may include an audit, at the importer/exporter’s expense.

The following documents must be submitted to MAF with an application for a permit to import:

5. Original letter dated, officially stamped and signed by the Veterinary Authority of the exporting country:

  • Stating that the compartment’s Biosecurity plan under which trade is eligible to occur has been officially endorsed;
  • Stating that the surveillance and monitoring programme in place has been audited against the biosecurity plan and that the Veterinary Authority is satisfied that it can verify that the compartment is free of the disease for which the compartment is formed.

6. Original letter dated, officially stamped and signed by the Veterinary Authority of the exporting country:

  • Certifying that the compartment has been maintained free of the disease for which the compartment is formed for at least the 12 months preceding the application for an import permit;
  • Stating that records of procedures and systems (including test results) of the establishment(s) forming the compartment, for at least the 12 months preceding the application for an import permit, are available to MAF upon request;
  • Stating that all procedures, systems and characteristics of the establishment(s) forming the compartment have been maintained and are identical to those described in the approved biosecurity plan.

7. A permit to import from MAF serves as evidence of approval of the compartment. Once provided to the prospective importer/exporter the permit to import shall be valid for 12 months, after which there will be an annual reassessment of the compartment by the Veterinary Authority of the exporting country and MAF.

8. The exporting company must receive either a faxed copy, or a scanned and emailed copy, of the permit to import, prior to commencing the production cycle for product for export to New Zealand.

9. MAF reserves the right to audit facilities from countries approved to export product to New Zealand.

Page last updated: 15 April 2011