Crazy new FDA regulations for shipping of food products to the US!
Dec 23rd, 2003, 02:57 PM
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Crazy new FDA regulations for shipping of food products to the US!
For those of you who are/were looking forward to ordering goodies from outside the US, my advice is to forget about it for the time being.
The FDA now requires each shipment to be "registered" and unless a vendor in Europe specifically mentions that it is familiar with this new procedure, I would NOT order anything. My mom just got word that a gift of Swiss chocolates she had a store in Lausanne send to friends in AZ had been confiscated by the FDA - gee, if they're so worried about the contents, why not SEND IT BACK??!!
Details of this insane bureaucratic & paranoid wet dream are available at:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fsbtac13.html
Happy new year all the same!
Hope this helps,
Andre
The FDA now requires each shipment to be "registered" and unless a vendor in Europe specifically mentions that it is familiar with this new procedure, I would NOT order anything. My mom just got word that a gift of Swiss chocolates she had a store in Lausanne send to friends in AZ had been confiscated by the FDA - gee, if they're so worried about the contents, why not SEND IT BACK??!!
Details of this insane bureaucratic & paranoid wet dream are available at:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fsbtac13.html
Happy new year all the same!
Hope this helps,
Andre
Dec 23rd, 2003, 03:22 PM
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You're welcone, Maira!
I'm not surprised about the mad cow story - the disease was bound to spread to the US eventually.
I was totally amazed by the way the story was reported in the NY Times though. The author states as a fact that the disease has spread to humans -yet this has NOT been scientifically proven!
Anyway, don't quite understand how this relates to the FDA regulations I mention, which have to do with food for human consumption, not cattle feed, which is the way mad cow disease appears to spread. AFAIK, the whole FDA thing is part of the "fight against bioterrorism" - hopefully they have more effective weapons than assigning tracking numbers to food shipments...
Andre
I'm not surprised about the mad cow story - the disease was bound to spread to the US eventually.
I was totally amazed by the way the story was reported in the NY Times though. The author states as a fact that the disease has spread to humans -yet this has NOT been scientifically proven!
Anyway, don't quite understand how this relates to the FDA regulations I mention, which have to do with food for human consumption, not cattle feed, which is the way mad cow disease appears to spread. AFAIK, the whole FDA thing is part of the "fight against bioterrorism" - hopefully they have more effective weapons than assigning tracking numbers to food shipments...
Andre
Dec 23rd, 2003, 03:35 PM
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The FDA doesn't sit around trying to figure out how to ruin a Christmas cheese log gift. They are scientists who know how to protect America from diseases which can wipe out entire agricultural industries from fruit to beef.
Dec 23rd, 2003, 03:41 PM
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I don't find the regulations so onerous nor, I'm sure, would those families who lost a member from the tainted spring onions a few months back.
From the website you gave:
"What foods are excluded from the prior notice requirement? Foods that are excluded from the prior notice requirement are: (1) food carried by or otherwise accompanying an individual arriving in the United States for that individual's personal use (i.e., for consumption by themselves, family, or friends, and not for sale or other distribution);"
Please tell me again what is wrong with protecting the food supply.
From the website you gave:
"What foods are excluded from the prior notice requirement? Foods that are excluded from the prior notice requirement are: (1) food carried by or otherwise accompanying an individual arriving in the United States for that individual's personal use (i.e., for consumption by themselves, family, or friends, and not for sale or other distribution);"
Please tell me again what is wrong with protecting the food supply.
Dec 23rd, 2003, 05:55 PM
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Jody, The whole thing about drugs bought in Canada is an entirely different issue. Many US Senators have sold out to US pharmasudical corporations in exchange for prior and future campaign donations. Favorable legislation which benefits these corporations is not in the best interest of the average American who needs life saving maintainance drugs. The concept of politcal Whores and Johns is alive and well on Capitol Hill!
Dec 23rd, 2003, 06:00 PM
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jor..I have been in the pharmaceutical industy for almost 50 years..in various capacities from retail to manufacturing You don;t have to tell me anything about about sellouts!
I get my drugs from Canada for less than my wholesale cost here in the USA !
I get my drugs from Canada for less than my wholesale cost here in the USA !
Dec 24th, 2003, 01:01 AM
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While I stand by my guns that this is a loony idea, the primary purpose of my posting was to provide a heads up to people considering a mail order purchase abroad, not to engage in political discourse - perhaps my tone was a bit shrill.
If you can sleep better at night now that these procedures are in place, that's great
Andre
If you can sleep better at night now that these procedures are in place, that's great
Andre
Dec 24th, 2003, 01:04 AM
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Back to FDA regulations: I have brought back (from Ireland) breakfast sausages, Irish bacon and black pudding. All were from the food store in Shannon airport's duty free area. They wrap everything securely and attach a USDA certificate. But on one trip the people at the store said they couldn't do that any more. So, one day it's one thing and the next day it's another.
After a time, the USDA seems to have changed the rules and certain products may be imported. When I declared some at Newark's Customs & Agriculture, the inspector's first response was a resounding: NO! It was only after I pointed out the USDA approval certificate that she 'backed down.'
After a time, the USDA seems to have changed the rules and certain products may be imported. When I declared some at Newark's Customs & Agriculture, the inspector's first response was a resounding: NO! It was only after I pointed out the USDA approval certificate that she 'backed down.'
Dec 24th, 2003, 08:28 AM
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Thanks, easytraveler!
Don't worry, I live in Switzerland as well, so my holiday season will definitely not be sans chocolate... I am now boycotting Hershey's kisses though
BTW, I'm not "standing by" my guns of course, but rather sticking to them... coffee withdrawal!
Andre
Don't worry, I live in Switzerland as well, so my holiday season will definitely not be sans chocolate... I am now boycotting Hershey's kisses though
BTW, I'm not "standing by" my guns of course, but rather sticking to them... coffee withdrawal!
Andre
Dec 24th, 2003, 12:24 PM
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The Bioterrorism Act went into effect on December 12th. If things were mailed prior to December 12th they probably would have gotten through fine. After that, though, the mailing restrictions applied.
When my boyfriend can't send me one little package of Printen from Germany for Christmas without going through a bunch of crap and paperwork, THAT'S what's wrong. A person sending a danged candy bar from France to a friend or relative is going to poison the U.S. food supply? Oh, please...
The dumbest part about this is that you can bake a cake in your own home and mail it to the U.S. with no problem... no notification required. It only applies to commercially-bought products. Seems to me it would be a HECK of a lot easier to put whatever one wanted into a homemade cake than trying to get it into a presealed prepackaged bag of Printen, ahem!
When my boyfriend can't send me one little package of Printen from Germany for Christmas without going through a bunch of crap and paperwork, THAT'S what's wrong. A person sending a danged candy bar from France to a friend or relative is going to poison the U.S. food supply? Oh, please...
The dumbest part about this is that you can bake a cake in your own home and mail it to the U.S. with no problem... no notification required. It only applies to commercially-bought products. Seems to me it would be a HECK of a lot easier to put whatever one wanted into a homemade cake than trying to get it into a presealed prepackaged bag of Printen, ahem!
Dec 28th, 2003, 11:15 PM
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I believe that the beef industry in the US has been fairly unregulated until now so you must expect some panic and it is easiest to blame other people, but hey! More people die in auto-smashes in one day than have ever died from CJD.
Dec 30th, 2003, 11:06 AM
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HI
Maybe i can shed a little light on the Mad cow thing! The reason they are a bit more than anal about is beacause the meat waste from animal products gets back in the food chain, i think!! I'm from the U.K so we are well used to Mad Cow, though i think the FDA are going a bit over the top with you guys!
Maybe i can shed a little light on the Mad cow thing! The reason they are a bit more than anal about is beacause the meat waste from animal products gets back in the food chain, i think!! I'm from the U.K so we are well used to Mad Cow, though i think the FDA are going a bit over the top with you guys!
