The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails Oct. 2 announcing changes to Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service amended the Select Agent and Toxin Regulations, pursuant to its third biennial review of the list, in a final rule set for publication in the Federal Register on Oct. 5. The final rule amends both the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) list and the Veterinary Services (VS) lists of select agents and toxins. APHIS reorganized the list based on the relative potential of each agent or toxin to be misused to adversely affect human, plant, or animal health, and also made changes such as the addition of definitions and clarification of language concerning security, training , biosafety, biocontainment, and incident response.

A working group is meeting regularly to develop the new U.S.-Canada Greenhouse Certification Program(GCP), said the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in an update on the ongoing overhaul of the program. The GCP memorandum of understanding has been extended to permit the existing program to continue until the reform is completed. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Canadian Food Inspection Agency are on track, said APHIS.

On Oct. 1 the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails Oct. 1 announcing changes to Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

On Sept. 28 the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:

The Food Safety and Inspection Service again expanded the Public Health Alert for XL Foods (Canadian Establishment 038) to include all beef and beef products produced on Aug. 24, 27, 28, 29 and Sept. 5, in response to XL Foods’ expansion of its recall. Products subject to the recall include, but are not limited to, steaks, roasts, mechanically tenderized steaks and roasts, and ground beef.

On Sept. 27 the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:

The Food Safety and Inspection Service revised export requirements and plant lists for the following countries for Sept. 21-27.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails Sept. 25 announcing changes to Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.