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Export Requirements for Costa Rica |
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CR-21 (Sep 7, 2012)
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Eligible/Ineligible Products
- Eligible Products
- Fresh/frozen bone-in and boneless beef including further processed products, and beef tongues,
kidneys, livers, and hearts.
- Fresh/frozen pork and pork products.
- Fresh/frozen poultry and poultry meat products.
- Fully cooked poultry meat products.
- Fully cooked pork meat products.
Documentation Requirements
- Certification Requirements
- For fresh/frozen bone-in and boneless beef and beef tongues, kidneys, livers and hearts, obtain FSIS Form
9060-5, Meat and Poultry Export Certificate of Wholesomeness. The following statements must be provided
on a FSIS Letterhead Certificate:
- The United States complies with the conditions stated in Article 2.3.13.4 of the OIE Terrestrial
Animal Health Code as a country with controlled BSE risk.
- The beef meat and meat products (mentioned in the scope) were produced and handled in a manner which
ensures that such products do not contain and are not contaminated with the following specified risk materials
(SRM's) for BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy): the brain, skull, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cord,
vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar
vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum) and dorsal root ganglia of cattle 30 months of age and older; and the
tonsils and distal ileum of the small intestine of cattle regardless of age.
- The beef meat and meat products were subject to testing for chemical residues in accordance with the USA
National Residue Program sampling plans.
- The product (beef, livers, tongues, hearts and kidneys) was inspected and passed and found fit for
human consumption.
- The beef meat and beef products were produced under mandatory HACCP regulations that require testing for
Salmonella and Escherichia coli and were found to be in full compliance.
- Fresh/frozen pork and pork products - obtain FSIS Form 9060-5, with the following certification statements additionally provided on a
FSIS Letterhead Ccertificate:
- The United States is free of classical swine fever and vaccination against the disease is
prohibited.
- The pork and pork products were derived from animals that were subject to testing for chemical
residues in accordance with the USA National Residue Program sampling plans.
- The pork and pork products were inspected and passed and found to be wholesome and fit for human
consumption.
- The pork and pork products were produced under mandatory HACCP regulations that require testing
for Salmonella and Escherichia coli and were found to be in full compliance.
- Fresh/frozen poultry - obtain FSIS Form 90605,with the following certification statements additionally provided on a
FSIS Letterhead Certificate:
- The product was derived from birds originating from a zone free of exotic Newcastle disease
and highly pathogenic notifiable avian influenza (HPNAI) for at least 21 days prior to slaughter,
and from birds subjected to ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections for NAI with favorable results.
- The birds are the progeny of flocks participating in the National Poultry Improvement Plan which
are routinely monitored and free from Salmonella pathogenic to poultry.
- The slaughter plant or establishment where the birds were processed was under official inspection
and is authorized to export poultry meat.
- The product was inspected and passed and found fit for human consumption.
- The poultry meat was produced under mandatory HACCP regulations that require testing for
Salmonella and Escherichia coli and was found to be in compliance.
- The poultry meat was produced in accordance with the U.S. National Residue Program.
In addition, the following condition must be met:
- Costa Rica has an expiration date for frozen poultry of 12 months from the date of production.
Any frozen product arriving in Costa Rica must have more than two months of shelf life remaining
in relation to its expiration date, otherwise the shipment will be refused entry.
- For Fresh/Frozen poultry, Spanish labels are preferred but English labels are acceptable. The
labels must include lot number, packaging date, and the official number of the producing
establishment.*
- Product must be packed and maintained at -18 degrees Celsius for the duration of the shipment to
Costa Rica.
- Fully cooked poultry meat products - obtain FSIS Form 9060-5, and include the following certification statement
in the "Remarks" section:
"The fully cooked processed poultry product was produced in accordance with USDA regulatory requirements."
- Fully cooked pork meat products - obtain FSIS Form 9060-5, and include the following
certification statement in the
"Remarks" section:
"The fully cooked processed pork product was produced in accordance with USDA regulatory requirements."
Other Requirements
- The official BEEF certificate must declare the following: date, exporter (name and address), consignee
(name and address), establishment (name and number) lot number or production code, number of packages, weight,
kind of product (beef cuts, ribs, beef liver), official stamp and signed by an official veterinarian. The
certificates must be numbered. If the certificate has more than one page, the pages must be numbered like this:
Page 1 of 2, Page 2 of 2, signed and stamped with the official stamp. If there are annexes to the certificate, '
all of them should be numbered signed and stamped by the FSIS veterinarian. The official certificate should
indicate if there are any annnexes and how many and all annexes signed, dated and stamped by the FSIS veterinarian.
- Frozen beef, liver and/or tongue shipments arriving in Costa Rica more than six months after their packing date
will be refused of entry. Fresh beef shipments arriving in Costa Rica more than nine days after their packing
date will be refused of entry.
- The ink color of the stamp and signature must be different from that ink used to print the certificate.
- For beef products, Spanish labels are preferred but English labels are acceptable. The labels must include lot
number, packaging date, and the official number of the producing establishment.*
- Frozen beef product must be packed and maintained at -18 degrees Centigrade during storage and inside shipping
containers while in-transit to Costa Rica. Fresh beef products should be kept at 0 degrees Centigrade or below
- For beef and pork products destined for the retail market, product labeling must be in compliance with Ministry of
Health and Ministry of Commerce and Economy regulations. Exporters are advised to work closely with Costa Rican importers
to assure labeling meets these requirements.
- Frozen pork and pork products arriving in Costa Rica more than six (6) months after their packing date will be refused
entry. Fresh pork and pork products arriving in Costa Rica more than nine (9) days after their packing date will be
refused entry.
- For pork products, Spanish labels are preferred but English labels are acceptable. The labels must include lot number,
packaging date, and the official number of the producing establishment.*
- Frozen pork product must be packed and maintained at -18°C during storage and inside shipping containers while
in-transit to Costa Rica. Fresh pork products should be kept at 0°C or below.
- All export certificates accompanying product must be signed by an FSIS veterinarian in blue ink.
Plants Eligible to Export
- All Federally inspected establishments are eligible to
export to Costa Rica.
CR-21 (Sep 7, 2012)
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