I. PURPOSE A. This notice provides instructions to import inspection personnel for actions to take when they use barcodes as a means to verify whether containers of imported product with missing or completely illegible shipping marks are part of a lot certified on the accompanying foreign inspection certificate.

B. The instructions in this notice apply only to shipping units and certifications from countries that have provided a written procedure and a list of foreign establishments eligible to participate in this procedure to FSIS. When import inspection personnel are able to determine that a country and a foreign establishment are eligible to participate in this process, this notice supersedes Part VIII, Section C. 2, of FSIS Directive 9900.5, Label Verification of Imported Meat, Poultry and Egg Products.

II. BACKGROUND
A. Foreign establishments may apply barcodes in addition to a shipping mark to shipping units of products that are offered for import into the United States. The individual barcode on each shipping unit contains a unique identifier that can be used to link the shipping unit to the foreign inspection certificate issued by the central competent authority (CCA) of the foreign government. Under 9 CFR 327.4 (e)(7), 381.197 (e)(7), and 590.915 (e)(7), published September 19, 2014, a shipping or identification mark can be used. Thus, if the shipping mark is missing or completely illegible,and the barcode correctly links the shipping unit to the foreign inspection certificate, the shipping unit is eligible to have the shipping mark applied or reapplied to comply with FSIS regulatory requirements.

B. FSIS permits the application of a shipping mark to shipping units when a shipping mark is missing or completely illegible when the shipping unit is presented for reinspection at the official import inspection establishment. This activity is currently performed only under the supervision of a representative of the CCA. FSIS is now allowing authorized import establishment personnel to apply the shipping mark to these shipping units in lieu of a CCA representative having to be on-site, provided that FSIS import inspection personnel can verify the unique identifier within the barcode on the shipping unit using the supporting documentation from the foreign country.

III. IMPORT INSPECTION PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES

A. When either import establishment management or import inspection personnel identify shipping units within a lot of imported product with missing or completely illegible shipping marks, import inspection personnel are to verify that the import establishment segregates and controls the product within the establishment.

B. When import establishment management indicates they will utilize the barcode on the shipping unit to verify and apply the shipping mark, import inspection personnel are to:
1. Access the Import Inspection Operations (IIO) SharePoint site. If they do not have access, they are to send an e-mail to [email protected] to request access. They are to include “IIO SharePoint Access” in the subject line.

2. Refer to the “Country Eligibility for Use of Barcodes” document on the IIO SharePoint site to determine whether the country is eligible to utilize barcodes to verify missing or completely illegible shipping marks;

3. If the country is:
a. Not listed as eligible for this process, notify import establishment management that the shipment is not eligible, and refuse entry on the applicable shipping units; or
b. Eligible for this process, verify that the producing establishment has been approved by the CCA by verifying that the establishment number is on the country list. If the producing establishment number is:

i. On the list, review the examples of acceptable documentation on the IIO SharePoint site to become familiar with the process; or

ii. Not on the list, notify the management of the import establishment that the shipment is not eligible, and refuse entry on the applicable shipping units;

4. When the foreign country and establishment are eligible for this process, review documentation provided by the import establishment management to verify that the shipping units are part of the lot identified on the foreign inspection certificate. The documentation is to be comparable to the examples on the IIO SharePoint site and may consist of:
a. A letter from the CCA attesting to the identification of the shipment; or
b. A report provided by the exporter that links the barcodes to the lot identified on the foreign inspection certificate;

5. Verify that the barcode for each shipping unit matches the documentation provided. The numbers after the (21) identify the unique shipping unit number;

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/2cd330cb-0152-4830-af90-17cf4a0eeb74/41-15.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

Source: United States Department Of Agriculture