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The Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) Program has been in effect since 1989, when the European Union (EU) and the U.S. agreed to control measures to facilitate the trade of non-hormone treated beef, including veal.
There are three principal components of this Program:
- Cattle are to be grown in approved farms/feedlots and delivered to the slaughter establishment with shipping documentation that includes the statement "Cattle Meet EV Program Requirements for the EU" and clearly identifies the animals and the quantity.
- Non-Hormone treated cattle and beef are segregated at the slaughter establishment and handled in a fashion that ensures that they are not commingled with other animals or meat.
- Tissue samples from non-hormone treated cattle are collected at slaughter and analyzed in order for FSIS to provide export certification for this product.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has designated the Audit, Review, and Compliance (ARC) Branch as the competent authority for providing verification that cattle meet the specified product requirements outlines in ARC 1013 Procedure. The specified product requirements must be met through an approved USDA Quality System Assessment (QSA) Program. The QSA Program ensures that the specified product requirements are supported by a documented quality management system and is verified through independent, third-party audits conducted by the ARC Branch in accordance with ARC 1000 Procedure.
To operate an approved NHTC Program, a supplier must submit a documented quality manual that meets the program requirements outlined in ARC 1002 Procedure and ARC 1013 Procedure. Approved NHTC Programs that meet the specified product requirements outlined in ARC 1013 Procedure are listed on the Official Listing of Approved NHTC Programs.
In order for FSIS to provide export certification for product:
- All farms, ranches, and feedlots approved under these programs and that raise beef destined for shipment to the European Union (EU) as non-hormone treated cattle must be listed on the FSIS PartnerShare website.
- There must be verification that there are effective controls at the slaughter establishment.
The EU export requirements are listed on the FSIS Export website.
The following approved USDA NHTC Programs have been found in conformance with the requirements of the USDA NHTC Program and all criteria of their approved quality management systems.
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