The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing to establish a voluntary Trichinae Certification Program for U.S. pork that has been produced under disease-prevention conditions.
Under the proposed program, APHIS would certify pork production sites that follow prescribed good production practices that reduce, eliminate, or avoid the risk of exposure of animals to the zoonotic parasite Trichinella spiralis, a disease of swine. Such a program should enhance the ability of producers to export pork and pork products to overseas markets.
This proposed program, which would be funded by program fees, has been developed as a cooperative effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Pork Board, and the pork processing industry. If adopted, this program would include those producers who choose to participate in the program, as well as slaughter facilities and other persons that handle or process swine from pork production sites that have been certified under the program.
APHIS will consider all comments submitted on or before July 16, 2007. The entire program and instructions describing how to submit comments can be reviewed online in the Federal Register.