Source:  Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 4/6/11

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will be checking to make sure that cooked poultry products brought into the United States from Mexico are free from exotic Newcastle disease, the agency said in a news release.

CPB said USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is implementing new requirements for processed (including cooked) poultry meat and cooked, hard-boiled eggs brought by passengers from regions APHIS believes are affected by exotic Newcastle disease. Mexico is one of them.

The new protocol requires that poultry meat brought into the United States by travelers from Mexico must be accompanied by government certification confirming it was cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 F, or it must be accompanied by a USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services import permit. CBP is required to take action when encountering poultry meat and eggs: imports presented without the required certification will be seized or refused entry.

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