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Export Requirements for Singapore

SN-50 (Aug 26, 2008)

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Eligible/Ineligible Products
  1. Eligible Products
    1. Fresh/frozen boneless beef derived from animals less than 30 months of age. Beef derived from cattle imported from Canada is not eligible. Knives, steels, and other tools, excluding carcass splitting saws, used to sever and remove the spinal cord must be used exclusively on carcasses of animals less than 30 months of age. Eligible beef must be produced under an approved AMS Export Verification (EV) program for beef to Singapore. Information about the EV program for Singapore and a list of BEV approved establishments can be obtained from AMS' Web site.

      If FSIS inspection personnel become aware of concerns that an AMS approved EV establishment is not properly executing its EV program, export certification should not be issued for the product in question and AMS should be notified at ARCBranch@usda.gov. Inspection personnel should include their immediate supervisor on messages to AMS. The following information should be included in the message:
      • Establishment name, address, and establishment number
      • Product type, product code, and quantity of product
      • Date of production, lot number, and shift
      • Date and nature of observation
      • Name of country product is intended for export
      • Export certificate number (if applicable)
      • Any other information to verify claim
      • Name of inspection official
    2. Pork and pork products.
    3. Lamb and lamb products
    4. Poultry and poultry products with the exception of that product indicated in Section B. Effective June 15, 2006, there is no restriction on the export of poultry and poultry products produced in the State of New York. See new certification statements for all poultry and poultry products that are effective June 15, 2006, in the Documentation section.
    5. Poultry feet/paws with production dates on or after September 1, 2006, must bear the U.S. inspection legend to be eligible for export to Singapore.
  2. Ineligible Products
    1. Beef and beef products are ineligible, with the exception of fresh/frozen boneless beef from animals slaughtered in the United States and collagen casings derived from bovine hides.
    2. Products imported into the U.S. from third countries are not eligible to be exported to Singapore, with the exception of natural ovine casings.
    3. Beef and beef products imported from Canada are not eligible for direct re-export or for re-export after processing in the U.S.
    4. Poultry feet/paws produced according to the Hong Kong standard with production dates on or after September 1, 2006, are not eligible for export to Singapore.
    5. The restrictions on fresh/frozen poultry meat from the State of West Virginia have been removed effective with birds slaughtered on or after November 12, 2007.

Labeling Requirements
  1. Poultry feet produced according to the procedures in Processing Requirements

    Shipping containers must:

    • bear the wording, "Chicken Feet (Turkey Feet) for Export to Singapore Only, Packed Under Sanitary Supervision of USDA"
    • show Establishment number, name and address of plant and "USA." The official inspection legend will not be used on shipping containers.
  2. Ducks. (For export of duck with feet and heads attached) all labeling shall fully describe the product and bear the wording "For Export to Singapore Only."
  3. Shipping cartons of all fresh/frozen meat and poultry products must bear slaughter or production dates (month and year format, code dating is not acceptable).
  4. All products names listed on FSIS Form 9060-5 must include species. If not normally indicated in the label name such as "Prosciutto," it must be added in parenthesis after the name, e.g., "Prosciutto (pork)."

Processing Requirements
  1. Poultry feet not eligible for the official inspection legend may be exported to Singapore under the following conditions (previously referred to as the Hong Kong Standard) if produced prior to September 1, 2006. Feet produced on or after September 1, 2006, must bear the U.S. inspection legend to be eligible for export to Singapore.
    1. Feet must be removed after dressed poultry receives final wash, before entering the evisceration room or immediately after transfer from picking to the eviscerating conveyor line.
    2. Feet must be handled sanitarily, packed in clean containers, and frozen promptly. Plant management shall cooperate in proper handling of this product and instruct plant employees to reject any feet obviously unfit for food.
    3. Feet must be scaled and toenails removed.
    4. Plants in which feet are removed in the picking room must ensure that feet are not contaminated during collection.
    5. The hock joint areas must be observed for swellings and abnormalities that might affect product wholesomeness or product packaging operation.
    6. Feet shall be prepared and packed in shipping cartons in a separate room under sanitary conditions and refrigerated until frozen.

Documentation Requirements

Certification Requirements
  1. Obtain FSIS Form 9060-5 (07/19/2001) Meat and Poultry Certificate of Wholesomeness.
    1. All frozen meat and poultry and meat and poultry products exported to Singapore must include the following statement in the "Remarks" section:

      "The product was frozen under USDA supervision."

      Acceptable methods of verifying the above statement:
      1. product was frozen at the exporting establishment, or
      2. Product was frozen "off premises" and an "Off-Premises Freezing Quality Control Certificate for Product Shipped to Singapore " certificate is provided to FSIS as industry certification of freezing procedures. This form does not accompany product to Singapore. An Example of this form is presented in PDF format which can be downloaded or printed from the Internet. Copies may also be obtained from the FSIS Technical Service Center by calling (402) 344-5000.
  2. Obtain FSIS Form 9435-1 (9/93). When completing the FSIS Form 9435-1 (9/93), please check to ensure that the following information is correctly reflected on the certificate:
    1. production dates on the certificate agree with production dates indicated on the product;
    2. date of manufacture is prior to date of certification;
    3. establishment number on the certificate agrees with establishment number indicated on the product; and
    4. the export certificate number on the certificate agrees with the export certificate number stamped on the carton(s); in addition, the following requirements must be met:
      1. Correct manufacture and slaughter dates (with the month spelled out) must be listed on the FSIS Form 9435-1 (9/93), where requested.

        1. Frozen beef, mutton and poultry must arrive in Singapore within six months of slaughter. Product arriving in Singapore dated 6-12 months from time of slaughter will be subject to automatic detention and subject to tests before sale. Product arriving in Singapore dated later than 12 months from time of slaughter will not be allowed entry.
        2. Frozen pork must arrive in Singapore within three months of slaughter. Product arriving in Singapore dated 3-6 months from the time of slaughter will be subject to automatic detention and subject to tests before sale. Products arriving in Singapore dated later than 6 months the from time of slaughter will not be allowed entry.
        3. Processed pork, beef, mutton and poultry must arrive in Singapore within three months of manufacture. Product arriving in Singapore dated 3-6 months from time of manufacture will be subject to automatic detention and testing before sale. Product arriving in Singapore dated later than 6 months from time of manufacture will not be allowed entry. Also, prior approval from the Primary Production Department (PPD) is required for specialty products (processed pork, beef, mutton and poultry) which reflect manufacturing dates beyond the permissible time frame.
  3. FSIS Form 9060-5 and FSIS Form 9435-1 and all supplementary statements must be dated and signed by the same veterinarian.  DVM or an equivalent degree must be typed or printed after the signature.
  4. Fresh/frozen boneless beef
    1. The export applicant must provide information about the consignment that includes specific product identification information, production date, number of boxes, manufacturer, and the statement "Product meets EV Program requirements for Singapore" in Block 14 of FSIS Form 9060-6.
    2. The date of slaughter must be included on FSIS 9435-1 in month/day/year format. Range of dates is acceptable. The slaughter date must be on or after the approved date on the AMS list of BEV Singapore approved establishments.
    3. In addition to FSIS 9060-5 and 9435-1, obtain an FSIS Letterhead Certificate with the following statements:
      1. The boneless beef cuts were derived from cattle that were less than thirty (30) months of age.
      2.  The product was derived from cattle that were born, raised and slaughtered in the USA or imported from countries approved by the Government of Singapore.
      3. The product was not derived from suspect or confirmed BSE cases, or suspect or confirmed progeny or cohorts of BSE cases, as described in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code adopted by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
      4.  The product was derived from cattle that were slaughtered in the USA, using methods which did not include a stunning process with a device injecting compressed air or gas into the cranial cavity, or to a pithing process.
      5. The product was derived from cattle that were subject to ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection.
      6. Specified risk materials (tonsils, distal ileum, brains, eyes, spinal cord, skull and vertebral column) have been cleanly removed from products shipped to Singapore without contamination of the meat.
    4. Information about U.S. processor self-certification requirements can be obtained from the U.S. Meat Export Federation at www.usmef.org or 303-623-6328.
  5. Effective November 12, 2007, for all poultry and poultry products, the following statements must be included in the Remarks section of FSIS Form 9060-5:
    1. "There have been no outbreaks of HPNAI involving commercial poultry in the zone (state) of origin in the six months prior to slaughter."
    2. "The poultry from which the meat was derived were born, raised, and slaughtered in the United States, or were legally imported as day old chicks from countries with equivalent poultry health status."

    Note: HPNAI is Highly Pathogenic Notifiable Avian Influenza.
  6. Fresh (chilled) pork - Trichinae testing must be done prior to entering the following statement in the "Remarks" section of FSIS Form 9060-5:

    "Each carcass from which the meat was derived was tested for Trichina with negative results."

    Laboratories conducting Trichinae analysis must be certified under an Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) laboratory certification program. For further information contact:

    Isaac (Gene) Sterling (202) 720-5898
    Chemist, USDA, AMS, STD, TSB
    P.O. Box 96456, Room 3517-South
    14th & Independence Avenue, S.W.
    Washington, DC 20090-6456

    Note: Pork bacon products - Trichinae testing requirements do not apply to bacon products.
  7. Pork Casings: The following addition statements must be typed in the "Remark's" section of the FSIS FSIS form 9060-18(08/06/1998) or on an accompanying FSIS letterhead certificate.*
    1. The hog casings originated in the United States of America.
    2. The hog from which the casings were derived from were slaughtered on ______________.
    3. The establishment control number of the U.S. slaughterhouse____________.
    4. The establishment control number where the casings were prepared and stored__________.
    5. The casings were processed between (date of slaughter) and (date of packing on the package)
    6. The USA is free from the foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever, classical swine fever, swine vesicular disease and Teschen disease.
    7. Casings were packed
      1. So that each package containers products derived from a single species of animal only.
      2. They were not exposed to contamination before export, they are packed in clean new or disinfected packaging containers
      3. Each barrel is numerically marked and contains establishment numbers.
      4. Hog casings were stored for not less than 30 days after the slaughter of the animals from which they were derived.
  8. Ostrich Meat Certification. The following additional statements must be typed in the "Remarks" section on FSIS Form 9060-5:

    "The birds were raised in the U.S. and did not come from indigenous and/or protected populations."

    The Country of Origin must be stated.
  9. Poultry Feet produced according to the procedures in the Processing Requirements section - This certification can only be provided if the product was produced prior to September 1, 2006. Poultry feet/paws with production dates on or after September 1, 2006, must bear the U.S. inspection legend to be eligible for export to Singapore.
    1. Special certification procedures
      1. When FSIS Form 9060-5 is signed for these products, THE CERTIFICATION STATEMENT FOR POULTRY PRODUCTS FOUND DIRECTLY ABOVE THE SIGNATURE LINE ON THE FORM IS NOT CHECKED OFF.
      2. The following alternative statement should be entered in the "Remarks" section of the unchecked FSIS Form 9060-5 when the requirements in the Processing Requirements section are met:

        "This certifies that the poultry feet specified above have been processed in compliance with the Regulations Governing the Inspection of Poultry and Poultry Products (9 CFR Part 381) as promulgated by the Secretary of Agriculture, and are sound and unadulterated so far as can be determined by external examination and acceptable for human consumption according to Hong Kong standards."

        Note: The procedures in the Processing Requirements section and the above documentation procedure is implemented by agreement and neither the procedure nor the above statement is applicable to other countries unless specified in the FSIS Export Library.
  10. Processed Products
    1. Canned meat and poultry products. The following additional statement must be typed on FSIS Form 9060-5 (05/06/1999) for canned meat and poultry products:

      “The canned meat (poultry) products described herein were manufactured and inspected in accordance with section 318.300 through 318.311 (section 381.300 through 381.311 for poultry) of the USDA regulations and have been subjected to a temperature of not less than _____ degrees C for a period of not less than _____ minutes. This sterilizing process would have a sterilizing value (Fo) of _____ minutes.”
    2. Canned pork and beans which are not amenable to the Meat Inspection Act may be certified under Part 350 of the regulations (Certification Service). The product must be accompanied by a declaration from the manufacturer stating:
      1.  the meat content of the product (including fat);
      2. that the product has been prepared from sound and wholesome ingredients;
      3. that the product has been heated to (degrees centigrade) for ____ minutes and;
      4. that every portion of the contents has been heated to a temperature of not less than 100° C.
      The above declaration must be countersigned by an MPI veterinarian stating that he/she has no reason to doubt the truth of the manufacturer's declaration and that he/she is satisfied with the cleanliness and manufacturing practices of the processing plant. This certificate may be typed on a company letterhead. The certificate should include "MPI Veterinarian" under the veterinarian's signature. FSIS Form 9060-5 should not be issued.
    3. Pork Products: If the raw pork originates in Canada the following additional statement must be typed in the "Remarks" section on FSIS Form 9060-5 (05/06/1999):

      "Raw pork ingredients were imported legally from Canada, from Establishment Number _________________ and Address___________________________________."
  11. Product Destined to Ship Stores. Singapore inspection officials exempt shipments consigned to ship stores from local import regulations providing the consignment does not enter the country. Product entering Singapore will be subjected to inspection in accordance with local regulations and will require the additional certification as if it were entering domestic commerce. Each shipment consigned to ship stores should be accompanied by FSIS Form 9060-5 with a statement in the “Remarks” section that indicates: “Product destined to Ship Stores."
  12. Singapore requires importers of meat and poultry products to be officially registered. This is presented for information for U.S. exporters.

Other Requirements
  1. Singapore performs microbiological testing on raw, fresh/frozen and cooked product. Contact the FSIS Technical Service Center at (402) 344-5000 for a copy of Singapore's microbiological testing program for imported product and standards.
  2. Weights - when product originates from two or more establishments, the weights and numbers of cartons must be divided to accurately reflect the amount of product originating from each establishment.
  3. Fresh (Chilled) pork
    1. Product must be derived from barrows or gilts produced from rations containing no garbage or swill, and slaughtered without the application of carcass sprays. Most U.S. commercial swine production and slaughter operations do not employ these practices and export certification may generally be provided unless there are known instances of their use.
    2. Fresh (chilled) pork must have a shelf life of at least 6 weeks.
  4. Fresh/frozen pork must be treated to destroy trichinae by one of the methods in Section 318.10.

    Note: Trichinae treatment requirements do not apply to pork bacon products
  5. Reinspection of Ready-to-Cook Duck carcasses with head and feet. Defect descriptions, criteria, and procedures described in MPI Directive 9180.1 will be used with the sampling plan and its limits below:

    Sample Size Acceptable Numbers (Maximum) Major Total
    10 3 30
    Absolute Limit Per Subgroup 4 34
    Tightened Criteria 2 27

    Cumulative sampling not required - random 10-bird samples will be used.
  6. Export Shipments to Singapore Transiting Foreign Ports
    1. Meat and poultry shipments from the United States to Singapore may be transshipped through a foreign port providing the following conditions are met:
      1. The consignment must be shipped in a refrigerated van container (reefer) sealed with an official USDA seal.
      2. Containers may be sealed at the origin plant or at ports, i.e., in the container staging yards or on the container ships.
      3. The serial number of the seal must be recorded on the export certificate or on the modified FSIS Form 7350-1, whichever the exporter requests.
      4. The inspection officials in the transit port must certify the following statement on the original export certificate or on the modified FSIS Form 7350-1:

        "Container has remained under refrigeration in the container yard within the port area of (city) throughout its stay in (city)."
      5. The consignment must not stay in the transit port for more than 14 days.
      6. The temperature of the container must be recorded throughout its journey from the U.S. to Singapore and the temperature record chart must be provided for examination in Singapore.
      7. The steamship lines shall:
        1. contact inspection officials in Singapore to obtain agreement on proposed transit ports and procedures. (transit ports currently approved are Hong Kong, Japan, and Keelung [Taiwan]);
        2. arrange with transit port inspection authorities for transit shipment supervision and certification;
        3. notify MPI personnel, in advance, when containers will be ready for sealing at U.S. port area;
        4. provide seamen to assist the MPI inspector in sealing the containers on the container ship and;
        5. forward (or the exporter forwards) the original export certificate or the FSIS Form 7350-1, as applicable to the transit port for certification, and subsequently, to the importer in Singapore.
      8. The exporter must obtain the required documentation, arrange for the sealing of the containers with local inspection personnel (when the procedure has not previously been established) and fulfill the conditions which apply to transit shipments.
      9. Seal number(s) will be recorded by inspection officials on the original export certificate or on the FSIS Form 7350-1, as applicable.

Plants Eligible to Export

All Federally inspected establishments are eligible to export to Singapore.  However, establishments producing boneless beef must participate in an AMS BEV program. The list of AMS BEV approved establishments can be obtained from AMS' Website.

SN-50 (Aug 26, 2008)
United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service