Canada Updates Zoosanitary Certificates for Pet Food Imports from Mexico​

Updated Certification Requirements

For Pet Food, Pet Treats, Jerky, and Compound Pet Chews

1. Pet food is produced and stored in facilities approved and supervised by Mexico’s competent veterinary authority.
2. Animal-origin ingredients come only from approved sources, including:
   • Inspected terrestrial livestock (mammal and avian), farmed game animals
   • Aquatic animals with no signs of communicable disease
   • Dairy, eggs, and hatchery products from healthy animals
   • Animals originating only from Mexico, Canada, the United States, Australia, or New Zealand
3. No animals used were under official disease restrictions, movement controls, or disease control culling for reportable diseases recognized by Canada.
4. Ruminant proteins used in production were legally imported into Mexico from New Zealand or Australia.
5. Bovine-origin materials meet safety controls:
   • Free from specified risk materials (SRM)
   • No mechanically separated meat
   • Sourced from properly slaughtered animals without prohibited stunning methods
   • Mexico enforces a ban on feeding ruminant-derived meat and bone meal to ruminants
6. Tallow used is protein-free with insoluble impurities not exceeding 0.15% by weight.
7. Products undergo validated heat treatments sufficient to destroy harmful pathogens, including specified temperature and sterilization standards.
8. Cross-contamination with lower zoosanitary status materials is prevented throughout production.
9. Packaging uses new materials intended only for pet food products.
10. The shipment does not include simple pet chews, defined as non-nutritive inedible animal tissue products (e.g., rawhide, horns, bones, tendons) that are not stuffed or combined with other animal ingredients.

For Simple Pet Chews

1. Simple pet chews are produced and stored in facilities approved and supervised by Mexico’s competent veterinary authority.
2. Animal-origin inputs come from approved sources:
   • Bovine, porcine, and avian animals inspected at slaughter under official supervision
   • Animals originating from Mexico, Canada, the United States, Australia, or New Zealand
3. Source animals were not under disease-related restrictions, movement controls, or eradication programs linked to reportable diseases recognized by Canada.
4. Bovine materials comply with strict controls:
   • Free from specified risk materials (SRM)
   • No mechanically separated meat
   • Sourced from animals slaughtered under approved conditions
   • Mexico enforces a ban on feeding ruminant meat and bone meal to ruminants
5. Heat treatment requirements are met:
   • 85°C for at least 5 hours for bones, tails, horns, or horn cores
   • 85°C for at least 2 hours for soft tissues
6. Each production lot undergoes laboratory testing:
   • Salmonella must be absent in 25g (5 samples tested, zero tolerance)
   • Enterobacteriaceae limits apply with defined sampling thresholds
7. Moisture content is reduced to below 12% through washing and drying processes.
8. Cross-contamination with materials of lower zoosanitary status is prevented throughout production.
9. Finished chews are packaged in new materials intended specifically for pet food use.

Products Not Affected and Trans-Shipment Rules

Requirements remain unchanged for pet supplements, rawhide-only chews, and pet food products that do not contain animal-origin ingredients. Pet food imported from Mexico into the United States and later released from official U.S. control before entering Canada still requires an import permit for trans-shipment. Importers can submit applications through MyCFIA.

For inquiries related to the updated zoosanitary certificates, contact the Animal Products and By-Products import team at APABPImport@inspection.gc.ca. For general or routine questions, reach out to your local CFIA office.