In view of the favorable recommendation of the China Mission, which was recently undertaken by this Department, and pursuant to Section 18 and 48 (4) of Chapter 4 and 6, respectively of Title IV, Book IV of Executive Order No. 292, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987, the following guidelines are hereby prescribed for the guidance of all concerned.

Article I
Veterinary Requirements at the Country of Origin

SECTION 1. Source of Cattle - Fresh frozen beef blocks shall come from animals that:

a. originated from Rinderpest free zones and where the disease has not been present for at least three (3) years.

b. originated from farms/feedlots in which there has been no outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in the premises within a radius of 25 kms. for 60 days; and

c. have remained in the Autonomous County of Dachang and the Province of He Bei for at least three months and official veterinary controls are in operations.

SECTION 2. Transport of Cattle - The cattle shall be transported directly from within the Autonomous County of Dachang and the Province of He Bei, The Peoples Republic of China to the approved/accredited slaughterhouses of Hua An Meat Co. Ltd. and He Bei Foods Inc. and were conveyed in a means of transport which has been cleaned and disinfected before loading.

SECTION 3. Pre-Slaughter Conditions - The cattle shall be slaughtered as soon as possible, and not later than 72 hours, after their arrival in the approved slaughter-houses of Hua An Meat Co. Ltd. and He Bei Foods, Inc. which conforms to international standards and be subjected to ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection by duly authorized veterinarians. The animals must have been found to be free of FMD, Rinderpest and other diseases during the inspection. The ante-mortem inspection should be carried out within 24-48 hours of arrival in the slaughterhouse and repeated if animals were not slaughtered within 48 hours. The ante-mortem inspection shall include examination for clinical evidence of FMD and where appropriate and detailed examination of foot and mouth. The ration for cattle in the holding pen shall come from certified FMD-free areas.

SECTION 4. Meat Treatment at the Slaughterhouse - The meat must not contain any bones and lymphatic glands before blast/contact freezing. The deboned meat must originate from carcasses which have matured at an ambient temperature of not more than +2 to +4 degrees Celsius for at least 24 hours before the bones were removed. After maturation and before removal of the bones, the pH value of the meat must be less than 6 as measured in the M longgissimus dorsi. Random test certificate issued by the quality control laboratory of the plant confirming this aspect performed by the technician and confirmed by the official veterinary authorities shall be included in the export documents.

SECTION 5. Meat and Meat Products Standards - Finished meat products shall be:

a. certified free from pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter and other harmful contaminants and residues;

b. packed in plastic packs printed with the date of manufacture and batch number in the carton of fresh meat;

c. labeled with suitable "FOR EXPORT TO THE PHILIPPINES"; and

d. the validity/shell life of the fresh frozen boneless meat shall be 12 months.

SECTION 6. Government Certification - The Chief Veterinary Office or his authorized representative of the Autonomous County of Dachang and the Province of He Bei, The Peoples Republic of China shall cause the issuance of an international sanitary certificate with the seal of his office attesting to the correctness and the complete application of Sections 1-6 as herein provided.

SECTION 7. Compliance Procedure - The Secretary of Agriculture may impose a periodic inspection of the sources of cattle, status of the slaughterhouse/plant and the overall disease situation in the Autonomous County of Dachang and the Province of He Bei, The Peoples Republic of China to determine compliance to the import requirements under this circular.

Article II
Conditions Prior to Importation

SECTION 8. Application and Issuance of Veterinary Quarantine Clearance/Permit - Prospective Importers shall file their application to import with the NMIC which shall accredit and recommend duly authorized importers of meat and meat products and after securing the necessary veterinary quarantine/health clearance from the BAI, process the issuance of the Veterinary Quarantine Clearance/Permit for approval by the Secretary of Agriculture or his duly authorized representatives.

SECTION 9. Who may apply - Only accredited meat processor are allowed to import frozen meat blocks from Hua An Meat Co. Ltd., Autonomous County of Dachang and He Bei Foods Inc., Province of He Bei, the Peoples Republic of China.

Article III
Arrival Arrangements

SECTION 10. Veterinary Quarantine Ports of Entry - Frozen meat blocks arriving at ports of entry shall be subject to existing BAI quarantine rules and regulations.

SECTION 11. Delivery and Release of Frozen Meat Blocks - The vehicle or means of transportation used in the delivery of meat from the port to meat plant shall be closed van with the flooring completely leak proof. Upon delivery, the meat shall be separated and clearly identified from the rest of the meat in the cold storage or warehouse only after inspection by the NMIC and the results of the laboratory examinations from the samples taken are officially reported.

SECTION 12. Disposal of Material Scraps - All the materials used for packaging shall be disposed of by burning to preclude possible spread of infection, and meat scraps should be collected for rendering or incineration under the supervision of NMIC personnel.

SECTION 13. Monitoring - NMIC personnel shall closely monitor the delivery and release of frozen meat blocks specially the handling of meat from the time of delivery until they are packed as finished product. The inspector shall submit periodic reports to the NMIC/BAI on the disposition of the importation.

SECTION 14. Repealing Clause - All orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this circular are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Adopted: 28 April 1994

(SGD.) ROBERTO S. SEBASTIAN
Secretary