Bird flu crisis leads to new export rules

More than 30 countries have updated their export requirements for the US since June in reaction to the poultry avian influenza (AI) crisis. 

The crisis has affected 48 million birds across US states including Arkansas, California, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin.

On 15 July, Guatemala, Barbados and Canada updated their export information.

Guatemala has said that all poultry and poultry products must be heat-treated in accordance with OIE Guidelines to destroy the AI virus, commonly known as bird flu. It has updated its ineligible states for export without this treatment to include poultry from Bend County, Descheutes County, and Douglas County in the State of Oregon that have been culled on or after 19 December 2014 and before 20 May 2015.

Updated exports rules

Barbados has also updated its ineligible exports rules and will not accept a range of fresh, frozen and poultry products from US states slaughtered or processed within a range of time frames.

Meanwhile, Canada is asking for specific requirements to be met after US chickens are processed in the country and then sent on to Japan.

South Korea has confirmed that non-heat-treated poultry and poultry products shipped to Korea on or after 20 December 2014 will not be allowed entry into the country.