USDA proposes rules for pork imports from Mexico | Food and Environment Reporting Network

The Agriculture Department proposed a regulation to allow import of pork and pork products from “a low-risk classical swine fever region in Mexico” and set a 60-day comment period on it. Swine fever, also called hog cholera, is a highly contagious viral disease among pig but does not cause foodborne illness among humans. It was eradicated in the United States in 1978, says a USDA fact sheet

Mexico ended a national campaign against swine fever last week, a sign the country is free of the disease, said ThePigSite.com. “The cancellation of these rules in based on the absence of cases of classical swine fever in pigs anywhere in Mexico since 30 January 2009.” Mexico will run a surveillance program against the disease.

“Under this proposed rule, such pork and pork products would have to be derived from swine raised on farms meeting stringent sanitary and biosecurity requirements,” said USDA. It said there would be safeguards to prevent contamination of the products and against entry of swine fever.