Terrestrial Animal Products and By-products: Export Policy Framework

Note

The content of this policy was consolidated and reflects what is already published on this website. The existing policies replaced by this document will be gradually removed from the website.

This document can be reviewed by external stakeholders and the comments must be sent at apabpexport@inspection.gc.ca before March 31, 2025.

1.Acronyms
2. Definitions
3. General legislation
4. Scope of commodities covered by this policy
5. General roles and responsibilities
6. Establishment inspection
- 6.1 Pet food establishments
- 6.2 ABP establishments
7. Certification process
8. Specific situations
9. Other CFIA legislation
10. Other links
Annex I – How to fill a certificate
Annex II – Definitions of material of categories 1, 2 and 3

1. Acronyms

AIED: Animal Import/Export Division
APABP: Animal Products and Animal By-products
CBSA: Canada Border Services Agency
CCP: Critical Control Point
CFIA: Canadian Food Inspection Agency
CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
COA: National Service Centre's Centre of Administration
DO: District office
EU: European Union
FIED: Food Import-Export Division
HAA: Health of Animals Act
HAR: Health of Animals Regulations
IAB: International Affairs Branch
PPB: Policy and Programs Branch
SFCA: Safe Food for Canadians Act
SFCR: Safe Food for Canadians Regulations
SRM: Specified Risk Material
TC: Traceability certificate
TRACES NT: Trade Control and Expert System New Technology
UK: United Kingdom
WOAH: World Organisation for Animal Health (formerly OIE)

2. Definitions

Definitions marked with an asterisk (*) are Canadian definitions. The definition may vary from one importing country to another.

accredited laboratory

means laboratory accredited by the Standard Council of Canada (SCC) by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation Inc. (CALA) or by the American Association for Laboratory Accrediation (A2LA);

*animal

means any member of the animal kingdom except human beings, but including an embryo, a fertilized egg or ovum, bird or bee;

*animal by-product

means an animal by-product that originated from a bird or from any mammal except a member of the orders Rodentia, Cetacea, Pinnipedia and Sirenia. Includes blood or any of its components, bones, bristles, feathers, flesh, hair, hides, hoofs, horns, offal, skins and wool, and any thing containing any of those things;

*animal food

means any thing containing an animal product or animal by-product that is capable of being a nutrient for animals and includes any of the constituent elements of an animal ration;

*animal product

means an animal product that originated from a bird or from any mammal except a member of the orders Rodentia, Cetacea, Pinnipedia and Sirenia. Includes cream, eggs, milk, non-fertilized ova and semen;

ante mortem inspection

means the inspection of a food animal by an official veterinarian or by an inspector under the supervision of an official veterinarian before slaughter;

Note: the EU defines ante mortem inspection in their legislation as an examination done by an official veterinarian;

apiary

is a collection of hives operated as a single bee-keeping establishment;

approved disinfection establishment

means any factory, plant or other place approved by the Minister for the cleaning, disinfection or treatment of any animal by-product or any other thing;

approved facilities

mean establishments that have received CFIA approval to collect and/or manufacture and/or process and/or store one or more animal products and by-products for the purpose of export;

*bees

are the insects known as Apis mellifera;

beehive

is any container fit to shelter a colony of bees;

bee product

includes bee pollen, bee propolis, royal jelly, beeswax and honey;

beeswax

is a true wax, secreted by glands on the abdomen of worker honey bees;

blood

means fresh whole blood;

blood meal

means dried blood of an animal;

blood product

means products derived from blood or fractions of blood; It includes dried, frozen and liquid plasma, dried whole blood and dried, frozen and liquid red cells or fractions thereof and mixtures;

bone meal

means rendered ground animal bones, which may include pieces of hide, flesh or sinew;

brine-curing (wet-salting)

is a curing method that includes soaking hides in an aqueous solution of salt;

bristles

mean stiff hairs commonly found in pigs skin, often used to make brooms and brushes;

canned pet food

is heat-processed pet food contained within a hermetically sealed container;

*cattle

means animals of the species Bos taurus or Bos indicus and any animal that is the result of a cross with a Bos taurus or Bos indicus animal, but does not include other ruminants such as bison, muskox, yak or water buffalo;

compound chews

mean products for pets that are comprised of a pet chew plus an edible or inedible meat or offal' component;

collagen

means a highly processed protein-based products derived from hides, skins, bones and tendons of animals;

colostrum

means the first form of milk, rich in antibodies, produced by the mammary glands of mammals immediately following delivery of a newborn. It is regulated by Veterinary biologics;

conveyance

means any aircraft, carriage, motor vehicle, trailer, railway car, vessel, cargo container or other contrivance used to move persons, animals or things;

country of origin

means:

with respect to an animal, the country from which the animal was imported into Canada, where the animal has lived for no less than 60 days in that country in association with other animals of its own species, and in any other case, means the country in which the animal was born
with respect to an animal embryo, animal product or animal by-product, the country in which the animal embryo, animal product or animal by-product was taken from an animal, or
with respect to an animal product or animal by-product – other than non-fertilized ova, semen and meat – that has undergone processing that would prevent the introduction of any reportable disease, any disease referred to in Schedule VII and any serious epizootic disease to which the species from which the product or by-product was derived is susceptible and that can be transmitted by the product or by-product, the country in which the product or by-product underwent that processing

cured hide (green hide)

is a hide that has been subjected to a preservation treatment (for example salting, brining) but that is not tanned;

*designated country or zone

a country or zone determined by the CFIA to be free of reportable and immediately notifiable diseases that either affect, or are transmitted by, the species of origin of the animal, animal product, or by-product to be exported from Canada. Refer to the Federally reportable diseases for terrestrial animals in Canada;

*disease

includes

a reportable disease and any other disease that may affect an animal or that may be transmitted by an animal to a person, and
the causative agent of any such disease

For the purposes of parts III and IV of the HAR, means any reportable disease or other serious epizootic disease to which an animal or germplasm is susceptible and which can be transmitted by the animal or germplasm;

disposal

includes slaughter or otherwise destroy, bury, incinerate or render;

dry salted (green) hides or skins

are hides or skins cured by rubbing them on the flesh surface with dry salt and leaving to dry;

edible

means fit for human consumption;

*egg product

means any of the following, namely, whole egg, egg shells, egg yolk, egg albumen or any mix of these, in a liquid, dried, frozen or fresh form;

exporter

means a person or legal entity that exports animal products or animal by-products in another country;

exporting country

means a country from which commodities are sent to another country (which is called the importing country);

EU+ countries

mean non-EU Member State countries that have adopted EU regulations in terms of importation of animal products and by-products. Those countries are Tunisia, Türkiye, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Ukraine;

feathers

are the light, cornified epidermal outgrowths that form the distinctive external covering of all modern birds;

fertilizer

means any substance or mixture of substances, containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium or other plant food, manufactured, sold or represented for use as a plant nutrient;

fiber

means the hair of alpacas (fleece is also used) and chinchillas as it does not contain lanolin;

fish meal

means meals, hydrolysates, and other rendered by-products of aquatic species (fish, crustaceans, and molluscs), but does not include by-products of marine mammals;

flavouring innards

are a liquid or dehydrated derived product of animal origin used to enhance the palatability values of pet food;

fresh hide

is a hide that has been removed from the carcass but has not been subjected to any preservation treatment, such as salting or tanning. It includes fresh, chilled and frozen hides;

fur animals

are animals kept or reared for the production of fur and not used for human consumption;

fur

means the pelt (skin with the fur intact) of a wild fur animal (for example bear) or a wild fur animal raised in captivity (for example mink);

game animal

means a wild ruminant, pig or bird – including a ruminant, pig or bird that lives in an enclosed territory under conditions of freedom similar to those of wild animals – that is a food animal and that is hunted for commercial use under an authorization issued by a competent authority

gelatin

means a highly processed natural soluble protein, gelling or non-gelling, obtained by the partial hydrolysis of collagen produced from bones, hides and skins, tendons and sinews of animals;

gluestock

means the hair, bones, hoofs, horns, fleshings, hide cuttings or parings of an animal or any other part of an animal that may be used in the manufacture of glue;

hair

is the slender threadlike outgrowth of the epidermis of an animal, especially one of the usually pigmented filaments that form the characteristic coat of a mammal. Includes angora (hair of Angora rabbits), cashmere (Kashmir, or the hair of Cashmere goats), fiber (hair of llamas, alpacas, chinchillas), horsehair (hair of the manes or tails of equine or bovine animals) and mohair (hair of Angora goats);

hard dried hides or skins

are hides or skins that have been air-dried;

harmonized commodity (for EU only)

means a commodity that can be exported to all Member States of the EU and for which a certificate exists in TRACES NT. Does not include commodity that can be exported with a certificate negotiated with a specific country member of the EU;

honey

is a sweet, viscous liquid produced by bees from the nectar of a variety of plants as well as from secretions of sap-feeding insects;

honeycomb

is a mass of natural beeswax cells which are hexagonal in shape, built by bees, with liquid honey sealed in the cells. Its purpose is to contain brood (young) and stores of honey;

import permit

means a document issued by the competent authorities of foreign countries for the purpose of importing animals or animal products and by-products;

inedible product

means animal product that is not fit, or not intended for use as human food. It can be non-condemned meat products treated by the operator as waste products and products, which are by nature not edible (feathers, hides, hair, manure, intestinal content, etc.);

ingredients

mean all constituents that enter into a product's composition. It includes, but not only, raw material, rendered products, non-animal origin ingredients, vitamins, etc.;

inspection

means an inspection carried out by a CFIA inspector for the purpose of export;

inspector

means a person designated as an inspector pursuant to section 32 of the Health of Animals Act;

integumentary tissues

mean a network of features that forms the covering of an organism, including hair, fur, wool, feathers, horns, antlers, hooves, skin and hide;

intermediate facility (only for exportation to the EU)

according to article 19(b) of Regulation (EU) 142/2011, this term applies to a plant in which intermediate operations (which generally do not change the health status of the material) are carried out on animal by-products after their collection, such as:

sorting, cutting, chilling, freezing, sieving, salting or other preservative processes
removal of hides and skins or specified risk material; and
operations involving the handling of animal by-products which are carried out in compliance with obligations under union veterinary legislation

intermediate product (for EU only)

as per definition 35 of annex I of Regulation (EC) No. 142/2011, this term means a derived product:

which is intended for the manufacture of medicinal products, veterinary medicinal products, medical devices, active implantable medical devices, in vitro diagnostic medical devices or laboratory reagents
whose design, transformation and manufacturing stages have been sufficiently completed in order for it to be regarded as a derived product and to qualify the material directly or as a component of a product for that purpose
which, however, requires some further handling or transformation, such as mixing, coating, assembling, packaging or labelling, to make it suitable for placing the product on the market or putting it into service, as applicable, as a medicinal product, veterinary medical product, medical device, active implantable medical device, in vitro diagnostic medical device or laboratory reagent

in-transit

means that a shipment of a commodity moves from the country of origin through an intermediate country for delivery to the country of destination. The shipment remains under official control and is not released for use or consumption in the intermediate country;

lime pulled wool or hairhar

is wool or hair removed from hides or skins after the skins have been treated by liming or other treatments to loosen the hair;

liming

is the removal of the hair from hides and skins by applying a strong alkaline solution;

*livestock

means animals of the bovine, caprine, equine, ovine and porcine species;

Note: the Feeds Program also has a separate definition for "livestock".

lot

means, unless it is specified differently by the importing country, a single production run, at a single facility, using the same processing method over a period that is described in the operators' Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and that can be verified during an inspection of the establishment;

*manure

includes guano, feces with or without urine and anything containing feces from any bird, ruminant or porcine; (includes manure that is produced by animals on board a ship or aircraft while en route to or after arrival in Canada);

*meat by-product

means part of carcasses, other than meat, derived from slaughtered animals. It includes lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, blood, bone, stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hooves;

*meat product (Safe Food for Canadians Regulations)

means the carcass of a food animal, the blood of a food animal or a product or by-product of its carcass or any food that contains the blood of a food animal or a product or by-product of its carcass. It does not include

(a) gelatin, bone meal, collagen casing, hydrolyzed animal protein, monoglycerides, diglycerides or fatty acids; or
(b) any food that contains a meat product in an insignificant quantity, having regard to the nature of the food and of the meat product

meat meal or tankage

means the rendered and dried carcass or parts of the carcass of an animal;

milk

means the lacteal secretion obtained from the mammary gland of any ruminant, in concentrated, dried, frozen, reconstituted or fresh form;

milk product

means any of the following, namely, partly-skimmed milk, skim milk, cream, butter, buttermilk, butter oil, whey, whey butter or whey cream, in concentrated, dried, frozen or reconstituted or fresh form, but does not include milk proteins, milk sugars and milk enzymes;

negotiated certificate

means that the requirements on a certificate were negotiated and accepted by the responsible competent authorities of both exporting and importing countries for a given commodity;

official authorities or competent authority

means the veterinary authority or other governmental authority of a country having the responsibility and competence for ensuring or supervising the implementation of animal health and welfare measures and international veterinary certification;

official veterinarian

means a veterinarian who is

employed by the authority responsible for implementing and supervising or auditing veterinary services in Canada (the CFIA), the issuance of certificates respecting the health and origin of animals and the performance of inspections of regulated animals for the purpose of protecting animal and public health; or
authorized by the CFIA to issue those certificates and perform those inspections

pet

means a domesticated animal, not including livestock or poultry, usually kept in a residence as a companion and generally referring to dogs and cats; can also be referred to as a companion animal;

pet chews

mean products obtained from untanned hides and skins of ungulates or other animal tissues for pet animals to chew; they have no nutritional value and may contain flavourings, colorants, and preservatives;

pet food

means food intended for pet animals which are not considered livestock under the Health of Animals Act and regulations. Pet food is a complete and balanced food commercially prepared and distributed for consumption by dogs, cats, or other animals kept as pets;

pet supplement

means a highly processed nutritional product whose purpose is to provide additional protein, vitamins, minerals, or other products, such as chondroitin sulphate or glucosamine, to pet animals. Supplements may be in pill, capsule, powder, or liquid form, and either be added to food or given directly (orally) to the animal;

pet treat

means a pet food, with limited nutritional value, either baked, extruded, or injection-moulded; it is usually made with flour, starch, fibres from fruit or cereal product, and/or mixed with greaves, meat, or meat meal. The treat may be semi-moist or dried and is used as a supplement to a regular diet, reward, and/or training aid;

pickled hides or skins

are hides or skins that have been prepared and preserved for tanning using an acid bath treatment or brining;

pollen

is male germplasm of plants; it contains proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins; it is collected by bees from a variety of plants at different times of year; it is the only protein source collected by bees for feeding their brood;

port of entry

means the land location where an export shipment enters a country;

poultry

means domestic fowl and pigeons and includes any bird that is in captivity;

post mortem inspection

means the inspection of the carcass or parts of a carcass of a food animal after slaughter by an official veterinarian or by an inspector under the supervision of an official veterinarian;

process

means, with respect to an animal product or animal by-product – other than non-fertilized ova, semen and meat as defined in section 1 of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations – the application of a procedure that would prevent the introduction of any reportable disease, any disease referred to in Schedule VII and any serious epizootic disease to which the species from which the product or by-product was derived is susceptible and that can be transmitted by the product or by-product. Repackaging or packaging from bulk does not constitute processing;

There are 2types of processing:

processing of the raw material into a finished product regardless of animal and human health
processing of a product into a safe finished products in regards to animal and human health

processed animal protein

According to EU definition: means animal protein derived entirely from category 3 raw material treated to render them suitable for direct use as feed material or for any other use in feeding stuffs, including pet food or in organic fertilizers or soil improvers (ovine meal, bovine meal, poultry meal, fish meal, etc.)

These do not include blood products, milk, milk-based products, colostrum, gelatine, hydrolyzed proteins and dicalcium phosphate, eggs and egg products, tricalcium phosphate and collagen.
For other countries: means the solid protein products obtained when animal tissues are rendered

processed pet food

means pet food that has been heat-treated and may be dry, semi-moist, or moist. It may have been obtained by extrusion, baking, canning, and are shelf-stable, with no refrigeration required after processing. Processed pet food containing rendered products are subject to the applicable provisions in the Health of Animals Act and regulations;

processing plant

is a plant where raw material of animal origin is processed. In general, the health status of the material is changed after the processing (for example plant processing animal proteins, rendered fats, hides salted in brine solution or treated blood);

prohibited material

means anything that is, or that contains any, protein that originated from a mammal, other than

a porcine or equine
milk or product of milk
gelatin derived exclusively from hides or skins
blood or products of blood; or
rendered fats, derived from ruminants, that contain no more than 0.15% insoluble impurities or their products

propolis

is a sticky, resinous material gathered by bees from trees and other vegetation. Bees use it to reduce the beehive entrance size and encase foreign material. Propolis contains waxes, resins, balsams, oils, and pollen. It is used in alternative medicine (in tinctures, ointments, creams, etc.) because of its antimicrobial properties;

rawhide

means a material obtained by separating an animal hide into two or more layers. The inner layer is then converted to a hardened and dried product without the process of tanning. It has no nutritional value and may contain flavourings and colorants;

raw material

means unprocessed animal by-product; may also refer to fresh meat that has not been subjected to any treatment irreversibly modifying its organoleptic and physicochemical characteristics. This includes frozen meat, chilled meat, minced meat and mechanically recovered meat;

raw pet food

means a commercial, ready-for-retail-sale diet which has not undergone heat treatment and may requires refrigeration; the product may be chilled, frozen or freeze-dried; also known as Biologically Appropriate Raw Diet (BARF) diet;

raw wool, hair or bristles

means wool, hair or bristles taken from an animal but does not include wool tops, wool waste, wool noils, wool laps, small trade samples of wool, lime pulled wool and hair, scoured wool and hair and carbonized wool and hair;

rendered product

means an animal by-product that has been prepared or treated for use in, or converted into, fertilizer, animal food, fat or oil, other than fat or oil used for human consumption;

rendering

means the series of activities that take place within a rendering plant which prepare and treat animal by-product for use in, or conversion into, rendered product;

rendering plant

means a place

where animal by-products are prepared or treated for use in, or converted into, fertilizers, animal food, fats or oils, other than fats or oils used for human consumption
where a substance resulting from a process mentioned in paragraph (a) is stored, packed or marked, or
from which a substance resulting from a process mentioned in paragraph (a) is shipped

In Canada, rendering plants operate under a CFIA license.

royal jelly

is secreted by the glands in the head of the worker bees. This substance is fed to queens throughout their larval and adult lives, and to young workers and drone larvae. It is high in protein and is synthesized with the aid of proteins from the pollen.

The jelly may be collected by a skilled beekeeper via a labour-intensive process, and frozen for later use. It may be sold in its raw form, as a powder (dust or capsulated), or mixed with other shelf-stable products like honey. It may be processed into a number of forms including capsules, tablets, and cosmetics. It may be sold as a tonic and restorative;

*ruminant

means an animal of the suborder Ruminantia but also includes an animal of the family Camelidae;

*specified risk material (Health of Animals Regulations)

means the skull, brain, trigeminal ganglia, eyes, tonsils, spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia of cattle aged 30 months or older, and the distal ileum of cattle of all ages, but does not include material from a country of origin, or a part of a country of origin, that is designated under section 7 [of the HAR] as posing a negligible risk for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy;

spray dried blood

means dried blood of an animal obtained by pulverization;

storage plant

means a plant (other than an intermediate plant for the EU) in which raw material or processed products are temporarily stored before their processing, final use or disposal;

tanned hide or skin

is the outer covering of ruminants, ratites, equines and porcine that has undergone a preservation process, usually a chemical treatment, to convert it to leather;

taxidermy

is the preservation of an animal's body by stuffing and mounting for the purpose of display or study. Often, the head or entire body is processed by the taxidermist, although sometimes other body parts, such as teeth, tusks, or antlers, are prepared. Polyurethane or plastic mannequins are used to support the skins and horns of the hunted animals. The skins are fully prepared and preserved before placement on the mannequin.

trophies

are the heads, antlers, or other body parts of hunted animals that will be preserved for display by taxidermy;

trans-shipment

means a movement of commodities from the country of origin to a country of destination where the container enclosing the goods passes through an intermediate country; it is customs cleared in the intermediate country, the container is opened, the original seal is broken, the contents are removed and a portion (or potentially all) of the original cargo is then shipped from the intermediate country to the country of destination;

untanned (raw) hide or skin

means the outer covering of ruminants, ratites, equines and porcine that is raw and has not been chemically processed into a permanent and durable form of leather (includes dry salted, wet salted, hard dried, pickled, and limed hides and skins);

veterinary inspector

means a veterinarian designated as an inspector pursuant to section 32 of the Health of Animals Act;

wet blue (in the blue) hides or skins

are hides or skins that have been chrome-tanned. The wet blue tanning process gives a blue tint to the leather;

wet salted (wet green) hides or skins

are hides and skins cured by treating with liquid salt solution;

wet white tanning

is a chrome-free (organic) tanning process. The hides are tanned with biosynthetic products and the resulting leather has a pale tint;

wool

is the hair of sheep or lambs. It contains lanolin;

zoosanitary export certificate

means a certificate issued and endorsed by a veterinarian of the CFIA, certifying to the importing country's requirements pertaining to public and animal health for exported commodities;

3. General legislation

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act (CFIA Act), section 11, empowers the CFIA to administer and enforce the Health of Animals Act. Subsection 14(2) empowers the CFIA to negotiate and enter into arrangements for the implementation of technical requirements for the international movements of products or other things regulated under an act or provision that the CFIA enforces or administers.

Under the Health of Animals Regulations, the following part is applicable to the export of animal products or by-products:

Part VIII, Exportation of Animals, Animal Products and Products of Rendering Plants

Scope of commodities covered by this policy

CFIA-AIED-APABP regulates the exportation of rendered products under the authority of relevant registration. However, the mandate of the CFIA is to ensure that commodities meet import requirements of foreign countries of destination before issuing an export veterinary certificate. Only commodities exported for animal consumption and technical use are covered by this policy. It does not apply to commodities exported for human consumption which are handled by FIED. Broad categories of such commodities may include, but are not limited to the following:

manure and fertilizer containing manure
integumentary and animal-origin display items
milk products
rendered products (meals, fats, etc.)
blood and blood products
raw inedible products
flavoring innards
pet food/treats/chews
laboratory and research samples
bee products
egg products
highly processed products (gelatin, collagen, etc.)
medicinal and natural health products
mixtures containing animal-origin ingredients (for example feeds)
recycled food products containing animal-origin ingredients (for example, used in livestock feeds)

Note: in exceptional circumstances, an export veterinary certificate must accompany products containing no animal origin ingredients, when required by the importing country.

Mandates concerning domestic movements, regulation of the trade endangered species and exportation of live animals for examples may fall within the scope of other CFIA programs or other government departments or agencies. It is the exporter's responsibility to meet requirements from other CFIA programs or other government agencies or departments.

General roles and responsibilities

5.1 Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Helps and facilitates exports of animal products and by-products by:

safeguarding the international trade of certain commodities in the interest of maintaining a healthy economy in Canada
maintaining a strong and credible system for inspection of APABP to verify compliance with importing country requirements
helping exporters to understand and meet the requirements of foreign countries
negotiating with foreign countries to reach agreement on market access conditions and to eliminate differences in interpretation of inspection requirements if needed

An export program has been put in place following the principles of disease control established by the WOAH. Under this program, the CFIA carries out activities such as establishment inspections and the issuance of veterinary health certificates. Many foreign countries recognize the inspection and certification system of the CFIA and rely on that system to ensure that commodities are traded with a minimal risk of animal disease transmission.

5.1.1 International Affairs Branch

Responsible for negotiating certification requirements and conditions through bilateral discussions with competent authorities of importing countries
Consult with other CFIA programs, as required, when export conditions concern those programs
Liaise with national-level industry groups, stakeholders and government departments or agencies regarding animal products and by-products, as well as live animal and aquatics export programs' issues or developments
Write and maintain export policy documents
Support Operations Branch by providing program clarification and interpretation regarding export certification and establishment inspection and approval
Support Operations Branch and Human Resources (Learning directorate) in the development of National Training Initiatives (NTI) regarding export certification and establishment inspection and approval

5.1.2 National operations branch

Operational Guidance and Expertise

Liaise between IAB and regional operations
Can be called upon as Subject Matter Experts by the districts, areas and other national teams
Provide operational guidance on export certificate endorsement and establishment inspection and approval
Provide the training required for the certification and establishments approval

5.1.3 Regional operations

5.1.3.1 Operation specialist unit

Team of specialists working closely with district offices. It also acts as a liaison between the district offices and the national operations branch. It works closely on many files and issues with provincial governments and industries.

5.1.3.2 District offices

CFIA certifying veterinarians are responsible for:

inspecting facilities that want to export animal products and by-products to ensure that the foreign country's import requirements are met
recommending the establishment's approval when required by the importing countries
issuing export certificates

Before signing an export veterinary certificate, the certifying veterinarian must make sure that:

it was provided with the appropriate export certificate in the most recent version
it was provided with the exporter's/manufacturer's declaration
it was provided with other supporting documents, if required (for example microbiological testing laboratory reports, attestation of the acceptance of the commercial risk, etc.)
the shipment intended for export did not leave yet Canada
the shipment meets all import requirements of the destination country

5.2 Importing country

The importing country must base their import requirements on WOAH standards, guidelines and recommendations. The import conditions must guarantee that the commodity introduced into the importing country complies with the level of protection that they have chosen for animal and human health. However, importing countries should restrict their requirements to those justified for such a level of protection.

5.3 Exporting country

The exporting country must have official procedures for authorization of certifying veterinarians and defining their functions and duties. It must ensure that relevant instructions and training are provided to certifying veterinarians. The exporting country is also responsible to monitor the activities of the certifying veterinarians to verify their integrity and impartiality.

The head of the Veterinary Services of the exporting country is ultimately accountable for veterinary certification used in international trade. Certification procedures should be based on the highest possible ethical standards, the most important of which is that the professional integrity of the certifying veterinarian be respected and safeguarded.

5.4 Exporters/agents/manufacturers

Exporters have many responsibilities concerning export of APABP:

they are responsible to contact the local CFIA Animal Health district office or visit the CFIA website for advice and guidance on export health certificates and requirements
the exporters are also responsible to fill and submit to the CFIA annexes related to the facility inspection checklist prior to the inspection when required by the importing countries

Note that all pet food facilities have to be inspected and approved by the CFIA before exporting to any country.
they must ensure that all applicable requirements of the importing country are met and they must provide satisfactory evidence (supporting documentation) that the products meet the requirements to the CFIA veterinarian before export is authorized and appropriate certificates are issued
the exporters must have qualified and legally responsible personnel to prepare, sign and provide the exporter's/manufacturer's declaration, prepare and provide the export certificate as well as to provide any supporting documents as necessary in order to get an export certificate issued
the exporter is responsible to present the export certificate to the certifying CFIA veterinarian before the shipment leaves Canada

The CFIA will not sign an export certificate after the shipment has left Canada.

It is important to note that an exported shipment may come back to Canada under specific conditions. For more details concerning returns, consult the policy Returns and Permit Application Process for Canadian Animals, Semen, Embryos, Animal Products, Animal By-Products, and Finished Pet Food.

5.5 World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) – formerly OIE

Publishes guidelines (Terrestrial animal health code) for export certification for animal products and by-products. These guidelines are intended for use by the veterinary authority of WOAH member countries to harmonize various aspects of animal health for international trade. The guidelines consider the animal health status of exporting, importing and transit countries and define the obligations of these countries, as well as certifying veterinarians.

6. Establishment inspection

The goal of the inspection of the exporting facility by the CFIA is to ensure that the commodities to be exported meet the requirements of the importing country(ies). The veterinarian will ensure that every statement on the export certificate is met by reviewing standard operating procedures, records, critical control points and other supporting documents of the manufacturer and/or the exporting facility.

Inspections can sometimes require considerable time for preparation and thus should be addressed as far in advance as possible. The local district office may also guide exporters on the procedures and inspection criteria and may share the appropriate checklist to help exporters to prepare to the inspection. The establishment must meet all inspection criteria. In general, common inspection criteria include maintenance of thorough records and standard operating procedures, sound practices for hygiene, and avoidance of cross-contamination.

Most inspections are required at a minimum of once per year, and exporters are expected to track their validity date. The CFIA has no system in place for sending reminder notices and it is the exporters' responsibility to arrange for renewal inspection in the month before the end of the validity period to avoid loss of approval status or potential hold-ups and complications with export shipments and their certification.

CFIA keeps a list of approved establishments in a database that is only available internally.

Special situation: name, address or ownership changes of the facility

Facilities must notify the district office of changes to names or mailing address, as this may cause export issues at borders of foreign countries. The CFIA must also be notified of a change in ownership.

If a facility's physical address changes, the new facility will require an inspection before any export certificates can be signed by the CFIA endorsing veterinarian.

6.1 Pet food establishments

Details on the inspection and approval of facilities manufacturing or handling pet food can be found by consulting the Guideline for preparing export certificates for the Canadian pet food industry.

6.2 ABP establishments

6.2.1 Countries requiring an inspection/audit

Any foreign competent authority of an importing country can at any time require an on-site audit of an establishment that is exporting to that country. In general, the following importing countries accept that the CFIA inspects and approves exporting establishments on their behalf:

Taiwan
Japan
Israel
Mexico (for animal rendered meals only)
EU and EU+ countries
Indonesia
Russia
USA
Brazil

China always requires an on-site audit by its own veterinary authority of all facilities that want to export pet food. Based on this audit, China will approve or deny the request of the facility to export. For all countries that require CFIA to supervise the establishment, export from the facility can only start when approval is given and the establishment is added in their list.

For certain commodities only (for example animal meals), Indonesia, Philippines and Taiwan require an audit conducted by their own authorities of the facilities that want to export. Based on this audit, approval to export will be granted or not to the facility.

Other countries than those listed will require that the establishment (slaughterhouse, rendering facility, etc.) is under official supervision by the CFIA.

When a country requires an establishment to be approved by their authority or by the CFIA, CFIA veterinarians will only endorse certificates after facilities have been officially approved as compliant and/or added to the foreign authority lists or internal CFIA database document.

An inspection should also be conducted annually by the CFIA for facilities exporting APABP to countries that do not require an inspection or approval of the facility. That way, the veterinarian can be sure that the products meet the requirements of the importing countries. The exporters should contact the CFIA Animal Health district office of their region for information on the inspection and approval process.

Once the inspection is done and the CFIA or foreign country has approved the establishment to export, the CFIA headquarters will issue a facility approval number (starting with ABP) that will have to be used on all export certificates and register the facility in the internal CFIA database.

6.2.1.1 European Union

The export policy TAHD-DSAT-2009-8-4 Registration or approval of facilities to export animal by-products not intended for human consumption to the European Union can be consulted on the CFIA's website.

For processing plants, the EU legislation requires that a self-control program, similar to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) be in place.

It is important to note that an export certificate will not be issued by the CFIA before the exporting facility is registered in the TRACES NT eligibility list. Once a facility is approved, only products produced on or after the date of inspection are eligible to be exported to the EU.

6.2.2 Countries that are not requiring an inspection/audit

Given that the export of APABP commodities not intended for human consumption are not regulated by the CFIA, except for rendered products, an annual inspection by the CFIA veterinarian is highly recommended to ensure that the products manufactured at the establishment meet the requirements of the importing country. An initial inspection of the establishment should be done before the first exportation, and then, an annual inspection may be conducted to ensure that the products are still meeting the requirements of the foreign country. The certifying veterinarian is then assured that the export certificate can be endorsed.

7. Certification process

It is the responsibility of the exporter to properly fill the first page of the export certificate. Then, the export certificate must be presented to a CFIA veterinarian for endorsement before the shipment leaves Canada. As said before, CFIA will not endorse an export certificate after the shipment has left Canada regardless of the country of destination.

7.1 Negotiated certificates vs no negotiated certificates

7.1.1 Negotiated certificates

A list of negotiated certificates can be found on the CFIA website:

The exporters must contact the CFIA Animal Health district office of their region to obtain a copy of the most updated version of a certificate. The certificates are subject to change. This is the exporter's responsibility to confirm prior to shipment that they have the proper certificate endorsed.

Certificates for export of harmonized commodities to the EU are available in TRACES NT. Export certificates for non-harmonized commodities are negotiated bilaterally between Canada and each EU Member State separately (for example HA2273 – Furs of wild animals to Belgium). For this specific situation, the exporter should contact the CFIA Animal Health district office to have a copy of the certificate, as they are not available in TRACES NT.

The text in negotiated certificates must not be amended, except for authorized deletions that are initialized by the certifying veterinarian. The signature (generally blue) and the official CFIA stamp (preferably in red or burgundy) must be in a colour that differs from that of the printing of the certificate. The original endorsed certificate is given to the exporter who will ensure that it accompanies the shipment.

7.1.1.1 European Union

Export certification is based on:

In general, animal products and by-products exported to the EU must come from:

countries that are authorized to export to the EU; and
establishments approved to export to the EU; and
products made of appropriate category of raw material (1, 2 or 3)

See annex II for definitions of material of categories 1, 2 and 3.

The list of approved establishments can be found on TRACES NT.

If the exported products contain imported ingredients that fall under Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 or Commission Regulation (EU) No 142/2011, it is the exporter's responsibility to obtain from the country of origin of the imported ingredients the following:

official certification that the ingredients originate from a plant and a country approved for export to the EU; and
all certification that would be required for export of the ingredients directly to the EU (to be provided to the CFIA certifying veterinarians in order for them to issue a certificate for export from Canada to the EU)

It is important to note that only premises exporting APABP or pet food directly to the EU are listed in the TRACES NT database. If a premise only supplies other Canadian premises approved to export to the EU, and do not export directly to the EU themselves, they must still be inspected and, if approved, listed on the internal CFIA database, although not in TRACES NT. If a premise not listed on TRACES NT attempts to export directly to the EU, the shipment could be refused entry.

Animal products for animal consumption must come from animals that have passed ante mortem veterinary inspection, and were submitted to post mortem veterinary inspection in a slaughterhouse that is under permanent veterinary supervision. The establishment must have a HACCP protocol or a HACCP-like protocol in place.

Certification for direct export to the EU must be done using the TRACES NT.

However, in case a commodity is first exported to a third country before being exported to the EU (for example, pet food exported to the USA for further export to EU), additional zoosanitary certification attesting for the EU requirements is required. In that case, a partially filled export certificate for the EU and only certifying conditions applicable to Canada will be attached to the US export certificate. The exporter should contact the Animal Health Office in their area to obtain further information.

The EU requires all export certificates to be in the official language of the port of entry into the EU. For the CFIA to endorse those certificates, they must be bilingual, using one of the official languages of Canada (French or English), and the official language of the EU port of entry. The French-English version of a certificate must be used when the port of entry into the EU is located in a country where English is an official language. Bilingual versions of the certificates are available in TRACES NT.

In cases where a shipment is rejected at the port of entry due to errors in the export certificate, a replacement certificate may only be issued in TRACES if the errors are limited to administrative mistakes in part I of the certificate. However, if part II of the certificate – comprising the attestation and certification sections filled by the CFIA- contains errors, the issuance of a replacement certificate will not be permitted by EU authorities. The options for addressing the affected shipment will be communicated to the exporter by EU officials and may include, but not limited to, the destruction of the shipment or its return to Canada.

You can consult this informative webpage for more information concerning exportation of animal products and by-products to the EU.

7.1.2 No negotiated certificate

In many cases, the conditions for export have not yet been established by a country. This is particularly true of unique commodities that are less commonly traded. If a negotiated certificate does not exist, there are 2 options for obtaining import conditions from the importing country:

obtain the conditions through official communication between the IAB of CFIA and the foreign contacts

This option may take longer than the second one.
have the exporter ask their importer to contact the official veterinary competent authority of the importing country to request import conditions

The commodity must be clearly described in detail in order for the importing country to assess the associated animal disease risk and, in turn, to provide its import conditions. The description should include but is not limited to the following:
- animal-origin ingredients and the species from which they were derived
- country(ies) of origin
- state of preparation or processing (e.g. dried, salted, heat treated, mixed with other ingredients, etc.)
- intended end use

This is the exporter's responsibility to take action to get the importing country requirements for their commodity prior to requesting an export certificate from the CFIA.

Once conditions have been obtained, the import conditions must be presented in writing or electronically to the CFIA district office. They need to be in one of Canada's official languages, or the exporter will be required to have them translated by an accredited translator. The CFIA will review them and determine if the exported product can meet the importing country's zoosanitary requirements and if a generic certificate HA2341 can be issued and endorsed. The exporter must then assume all commercial risk related to that export in a written letter containing the following:

information on the shipment (importing country, consignee, description of the product(s), their weight, purchase order number, etc)
statement to discharge the CFIA from any commercial risk related to that export

If an import permit was issued by the third country, the attestation concerning the commercial risk is not required. The import permit is then considered a legal document permitting the import if all its conditions are met. The USA and Australia are mostly using import permits to communicate their import requirements to foreign countries. CFIA don't have a lot of negotiated certificates with these two countries. It is the exporter's responsibility to present the import permit to the CFIA endorsing veterinarian at the time of signature.

Situations when an in-house certificate (HA2341) can be used:

USA and Australia	Others Countries
HA2341 includes import conditions of the import permit	HA2341 includes official import conditions provided by the importer/exporter. The exporter must assume all commercial risks.	HA2341 can be issued to mention that the product was manufactured in Canada. It is not necessary to present the certificate to the competent authority of the importing country (unless requested by them), since it is issued to facilitate the return of the consignment in the event of a refusal by the foreign authorities

USA and Australia

Others Countries

Import Permit in most situations

No negotiated export certificate but official import conditions are known

No Certification is required (and no import condition has to be met)

HA2341 includes import conditions of the import permit

HA2341 includes official import conditions provided by the importer/exporter.

The exporter must assume all commercial risks.

HA2341 can be issued to mention that the product was manufactured in Canada.

It is not necessary to present the certificate to the competent authority of the importing country (unless requested by them), since it is issued to facilitate the return of the consignment in the event of a refusal by the foreign authorities

7.2 How to fill in the certificate

See annex I for the generic certificate HA2341. This certificate will be used as an example. Other certificates may be filled the same way.

7.3 Types of statements on a certificate and supporting documents required

The CFIA endorsing veterinarians must certify each statement on the export certificate. They must only endorse certificates when all statements are true and verified.

The exporters should contact their local CFIA animal health district office to clarify what type of supporting documents they have to present to the veterinarians. All supporting documents must be kept by the exporter/manufacturer for a period of 2 years, or 10 years for rendered products or products containing rendered products. The district office will also keep a copy of all documents related to an exportation for the same period of time.

Lot number, batch number or some unique form of identification must link all supporting documentation to the specific export shipment.

7.3.1 Traceability certificates (TC)

A traceability certificate is an official document detailing the origin and movement(s) of a product.

The TC is required, for example, to certify compliance with ante mortem and/or the post mortem inspection requirements, if such conditions are stipulated in the export certificate. Slaughterhouses supplying intermediate or processing facilities with raw materials for the purpose of exporting unprocessed or processed animal products or by-products intended for non-human consumption must request a TC. The TC must accompany every shipment of raw material originating from:

a federally inspected slaughterhouse
a provincially inspected abattoir operating under a permanent inspection system and subject to a veterinary oversight. Based on CFIA analysis of the provincial inspection systems, this category of abattoirs includes only inspected abattoirs in provinces of Quebec (Type A abattoirs only), Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba.
animal by-products harvested from live animals

Each shipment (load) of raw material must be accompanied by a TC. The TC must be signed by either the veterinarian or inspector at the slaughterhouse. For animal by-products derived from live animals (for example velvet antler), the TC must be signed by a veterinary practitioner.

The veterinarian, inspector or veterinary practitioner is responsible for completing the following sections of the TC: the reference number and the animal health attestations. The other sections of the TC may be completed by the company.

The exporter may contact his local CFIA district office or the inspection staff at the abattoir to obtain a template of the TC and guidance on its use. The TC must be presented at the time of signature for export certification, except in the following case:

for the export of pet food as outlined in the Guideline for preparing export certificates for the Canadian pet food industry
for establishments where an annual inspection is mandatory under export conditions (for example EU, Mexico, etc.)

In these cases, the exporter must include a statement in the manufacturer's declaration confirming that they have the TCs in their possession and that these documents are available to the CFIA upon request.

A company that receives raw material directly from slaughterhouses must keep on file the TC for 2 years. They must be available at any time for CFIA verification. If a company receives raw material from an intermediate facility, they must request a commercial document for each load and keep it on file for 2 years. In the latter case, it is the company (intermediate facility) that supply the raw material that will request a TC from their suppliers and keep it on file for 2 years.

For raw materials sourced from establishments (other than slaughterhouses) that handle only material intended for human consumption and are licensed under the SFCR (fish plants, meat processing establishments, dairy plants, etc.) or from provincially licensed processing establishments supplied exclusively by permanently inspected slaughterhouses in the provinces of Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta, a TC is not required. This is because the raw materials meet higher standards than products used for animal consumption. However, a commercial document (for example an invoice) must accompany every load and must be kept for 2 years by the company receiving the raw material.

7.3.2 Manufacturer/exporter declaration

This is a statement signed by the manufacturer or the exporter certifying that the product was manufactured in accordance with the non-sanitary conditions of the importing country where the product is intended to be exported. All the sanitary requirements (sanitary status of Canada, animal health and ante and post mortem examination) are strictly the responsibility of the CFIA veterinarian and must not appear on the manufacturer declaration.

This document must be provided for each export certificate and for each shipment. In some circumstances, one declaration could cover several export certificates requested for different shipments on the same day and for the same destination.

The declaration must refer to a product that has already been manufactured and not to a product that will be manufactured. Therefore, a declaration done on an annual basis is not acceptable. It must always be dated and also indicate the lot number, shipment code or other unique identifier that can be associated with a specific shipment, including the shipping date in order to cross-reference the statement to the certificate to be issued.

Only the original copy of the signed statement will be considered. However, given the implementation of electronic certification and its generalization throughout the world, the declaration can be transmitted electronically to the certifying veterinarian, after pre-arrangement with the CFIA district office that the documentation comes from a trusted email linked to the manufacturer.

CFIA veterinarians are not required to sign an export certificate if they believe that the wording or the information in the declaration is incomplete and does not adequately correspond to the conditions to be certified on the export certificate, or if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the conditions are not met. The veterinarian could decide to inspect the facility and/or the product intended to be exported to ensure the conditions are met before endorsing the certificate.

Exporters should contact their CFIA Animal Health district office to clarify what statements need to be included in the manufacturer declaration.

7.3.3 Zoosanitary status of Canada and/or the country of origin

Certification of Canada's and/or the country of origin's health status statement is the sole responsibility of the CFIA veterinarian, and those statements should not be added on the manufacturer's declaration. However, exporters may have to present supporting documents to the veterinarian. For example, if the country of origin is not Canada and the product was imported, certification of health status will be based on the health certificates with which the product was imported into Canada.

The information regarding the zoosanitary status of Canada is available at the following websites:

Zoosanitary status for Canada and other countries is available in the WOAH website:

WOAH website: World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS) and Handistatus II.

The statements related to the zoosanitary status of Canada on the export certificate only concern reportable diseases of the species of origin of the by-products. It should be noted that vaccination against the majority of these diseases is prohibited in Canada.

7.3.4 Animal health status and ante and post mortem examinations

The statements regarding the animal health status and ante mortem (before slaughter) and post mortem (after slaughter) examination are under CFIA veterinarians responsibility. Statements regarding animal health status and ante and post mortem examinations must not be put on the exporter/manufacturer declaration.

In general, for the importation of animal by-products not intended for human consumption, importing countries require material to be obtained from animals that have not been condemned at ante mortem inspection.

The exporter will have to provide traceability certificate(s) received from the slaughterhouse for the signature of the export certificates. If the animals were slaughtered in a third country, the exporter will have to provide to the CFIA veterinarian zoosanitary certificates certifying the conditions at importation time.

In the case of animal products and by-products obtained from live animals (blood products, velvet antler...), it is common to have to certify that the animals were healthy at the time of harvest. To do this, a certificate from the veterinary practitioner identifying the client, the animals, the products harvested, their quantity, the date of harvest and attesting to the health of the animals is required at the time of the certificate endorsement by the CFIA veterinarian.

7.3.5 Animal and products and by-products origin

The origin of the animals can be put in the manufacturer declaration. However, if a statement refers to the health status of the animals, a traceability certificate will be required. Please contact your local CFIA district office staff for more guidance on the supporting documents that are needed for this type of statement.

7.3.6 Processing/handling/storage/transport

The statements related to processing, handling, storage and transport are specific to the manufacturer, although they are included in the certificate. These statements must be added to the manufacturer declaration presented to the endorsing veterinarian at signature time. However, the veterinarian could want to inspect the establishment prior endorsement of the certificate to ensure the conditions are met.

The exporter is responsible for shipping animal by-products that are as clean as possible. They should be shipped in clean packaging and/or leakproof containers. The shipment could be refused entry by port inspectors of the importing country if this is not met.

It is also recommended that a uniquely numbered seal be applied to the container, and that number be written on the export certificate. That would make returns easier if the shipment has to come back to Canada.

1 or more aspects of the manufacturing process may need to be certified:

heat or chemical treatment of the products
type of ingredients allowed or not in the products
handling and segregation of the products in the processing facility to avoid cross contamination with products with a lower zoosanitary status
use of new packaging material

7.3.7 Laboratory analysis

When specific tests are required on an export certificate (for example microbiological, chemical, biological, etc.), they should be performed in an accredited laboratory, independent of the company. When an export certificate makes reference to 'routine testing', it can be done by the company's (in-house) laboratory.

Laboratory analysis reports must be provided when a certificate is presented for endorsement to the CFIA. It is imperative that the reports mention the lot number(s) of the products exported and written on the export certificate.

8. Specific situations

8.1 Exported products (finished products) are produced with imported animal origin ingredients

Exporters are responsible to contact their importers to confirm with their authorities if importation of that product is allowed. Some importing countries may refuse products made of ingredients coming from certain countries. If allowed, the exporter should ensure that all additional conditions (if applicable) are met. Additional certification or other documents could be required by the importing countries or the CFIA certifying veterinarian.

8.2 The exported products were produced in a third country

If the products to be exported are not of Canadian origin, the exporters should communicate with their importers to ensure that their products will be accepted by the importing countries. Some importing countries may refuse products processed in certain countries. Additional statements could be requested on the export certificate when products were imported into Canada. It is important to note that CFIA veterinarians cannot certify statements that concern manufacturing of the products if they were not produced in Canada. It will be important that the exporter contact the veterinarian of the CFIA district office to know if additional documents would be required for the signature of the export certificate.

8.3 Products that do not contain animal origin ingredients

In cases where a negotiated certificate does not exist for a product and the importing country requests a veterinary certificate even though the exported product does not contain APABP, the certificate HA2979 can be used. The exporter will have to provide supporting documentation to attest to the conditions. An inspection of the facility could also be required by the CFIA veterinarian to issue the certificate. Because this is not a negotiated certificate, the exporter must take all commercial risks and provide a letter following instructions of section 7.1.2 of this document.

8.5 United States of America

An import permit is required in most cases and is issued to the US importer by the US competent authorities. The permit sets out the import conditions. If there is no valid negotiated certificate for the export of the product, the in-house certificate HA2341 can be used, with all relevant import conditions that must be certified. The exporter's local CFIA district office can be contacted to obtain a copy of the in-house certificate. The conditions must be added by the exporter in the condition box.

USA definitions for "produced in Canada" versus "originates from Canada":

"Produced in" means any product that has undergone a process which adds value to the product with the exception of packaging (that is packaging only is not included in this definition)
"Originates from" means the entire process from slaughter to finished product

9. Other CFIA legislation

The exporter is responsible for confirming and complying with the requirements of all legislation that may be applicable. This may include, but is not limited to, the following:

Canada Agricultural Products Act and regulations under this act
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act
Feeds Act
Feeds Regulations, 2024
Fertilizers Act
Fertilizers Regulations
Food and Drugs Act
Plant Protection Act
Plant Protection Regulations
Safe Food for Canadians Act
Safe Food for Canadians Regulations

10. Other links

Annex I – How to fill a certificate

Image description – Veterinary certificate for animal products and by-products exported from Canada. Description follows.

European Union

Part I of the export certificates must be filled in TRACES-NT by the exporter/operator. Please refer to part I Details of Dispatched Consignment – As EO/LAU/CCA for the procedure on how to fill it.

The CFIA is responsible to fill, cross out non-applicable conditions (if required) and sign part II of those certificates in TRACES-NT.

Annex II – Definitions of material of categories 1, 2 and 3

The EU Regulation (EC) 1069/2009 classifies animal by-products into 3 categories, based on the risk that they pose to animal health. Apart from a few exceptions, in general, only category 3 animal by-products are eligible for export. However, for some uses outside the feed chain, the EU may accept derived products from category 1 or 2 material (for example rendered fats for biodiesel). Generally, products classified as category 3 must meet a minimum criterion; that is, they must come from animals that were not condemned during ante mortem inspection. To prevent cross-contamination between by-products of different categories, this categorization extends to the facilities that collect, process or store animal by-products, as well as to the means of transportation and the personnel handling these products.

Category 1 material (article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009)

Category 1 material shall comprise the following animal by-products:

entire bodies and all body parts, including hides and skins, of the following animals:
1. animals suspected of being infected by a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001 or in which the presence of a TSE has been officially confirmed
2. animals killed in the context of TSE eradication measures
3. animals other than farmed and wild animals, including in particular pet animals, zoo animals and circus animals
4. animals used in a procedure or procedures defined in article 3 of Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes (1), in cases where the competent authority decides that such animals or any of their body parts have the potential to pose serious health risks to humans or to other animals, as a result of that procedure or those procedures without prejudice to article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003, and
5. wild animals, when suspected of being infected with diseases communicable to humans or animals
the following material:
1. specified risk material, and
2. entire bodies or parts of dead animals containing specified risk material at the time of disposal
(c) animal by-products derived from animals which have been submitted to illegal treatment as defined in article 1(2)(d) of Directive 96/22/EC or article 2(b) of Directive 96/23/EC;
animal by-products containing residues of other substances and environmental contaminants listed in Group B(3) of annex I to Directive 96/23/EC, if such residues exceed the permitted level laid down by community legislation or, in the absence thereof, by national legislation;
animal by-products collected during the treatment of waste water required by implementing rules adopted under point (c) of the first paragraph of article 27 of Regulation (EC) 1069/2009:
1. from establishments or plants processing category 1 material, or
2. from other establishments or plants where specified risk material is being removed
catering waste from means of transport operating internationally; and
mixtures of category 1 material with either category 2 material or category 3 material or both.

Category 2 material (article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009)

Category 2 material shall comprise the following animal by-products:

manure, non-mineralised guano and digestive tract content
animal by-products collected during the treatment of waste water required by implementing rules adopted under point (c) of the first paragraph of article 27 of Regulation (EC) 1069/2009:
1. from establishments or plants processing category 2 material, or
2. from slaughterhouses other than those covered by article 8(e)
animal by-products containing residues of authorised substances or contaminants exceeding the permitted levels as referred to in article 15(3) of Directive 96/23/EC;
products of animal origin which have been declared unfit for human consumption due to the presence of foreign bodies in those products;
products of animal origin, other than category 1 material, that are as follows:
1. imported or introduced from a third country and fail to comply with Community veterinary legislation for their import or introduction into the Community except where community legislation allows their import or introduction subject to specific restrictions or their return to the third country, or
2. dispatched to another Member State and fail to comply with requirements laid down or authorised by community legislation except where they are returned with the authorisation of the competent authority of the Member State of origin
animals and parts of animals, other than those referred to in the definitions of categories 1 and 3, as follows:
1. animals that died other than by being slaughtered or killed for human consumption, including animals killed for disease control purposes
2. foetuses
3. oocytes, embryos and semen which are not destined for breeding purposes, and
4. dead-in-shell poultry
mixtures of category 2 material with category 3 material; and
animal by-products other than category 1 material or category 3 material.

Category 3 material (article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009)

Category 3 material shall comprise the following animal by-products:

carcases and parts of animals slaughtered or, in the case of game, bodies or parts of animals killed, and which are fit for human consumption in accordance with community legislation, but are not intended for human consumption for commercial reasons;
carcases and the following parts originating either from animals that have been slaughtered in a slaughterhouse and were considered fit for slaughter for human consumption following an ante mortem inspection or bodies and the following parts of animals from game killed for human consumption in accordance with community legislation:
1. carcases or bodies and parts of animals which are rejected as unfit for human consumption in accordance with community legislation, but which did not show any signs of disease communicable to humans or animals
2. heads of poultry
3. hides and skins, including trimmings and splitting thereof, horns and feet, including the phalanges and the carpus and metacarpus bones, tarsus and metatarsus bones, of
  - animals, other than ruminants requiring TSE testing, and
  - ruminants which have been tested with a negative result in accordance with article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001
4. pig bristles, and
5. feathers
animal by-products from poultry and lagomorphs slaughtered on the farm as referred to in article 1(3)(d) of Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004, which did not show any signs of disease communicable to humans or animals;
blood of animals which did not show any signs of disease communicable through blood to humans or animals obtained from the following animals that have been slaughtered in a slaughterhouse after having been considered fit for slaughter for human consumption following an ante mortem inspection in accordance with community legislation:
1. animals other than ruminants requiring TSE testing, and
2. ruminants which have been tested with a negative result in accordance with article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001
animal by-products arising from the production of products intended for human consumption, including degreased bones, greaves and centrifuge or separator sludge from milk processing;
products of animal origin, or foodstuffs containing products of animal origin, which are no longer intended for human consumption for commercial reasons or due to problems of manufacturing or packaging defects or other defects from which no risk to public or animal health arises;
pet food and feeding stuffs of animal origin, or feeding stuffs containing animal by-products or derived products, which are no longer intended for feeding for commercial reasons or due to problems of manufacturing or packaging defects or other defects from which no risk to public or animal health arises;
blood, placenta, wool, feathers, hair, horns, hoof cuts and raw milk originating from live animals that did not show any signs of disease communicable through that product to humans or animals;
aquatic animals, and parts of such animals, except sea mammals, which did not show any signs of disease communicable to humans or animals;
animal by-products from aquatic animals originating from establishments or plants manufacturing products for human consumption;
the following material originating from animals which did not show any signs of disease communicable through that material to humans or animals:
1. shells from shellfish with soft tissue or flesh, and
2. the following originating from terrestrial animals:
  - hatchery by-products
  - eggs, and
  - egg by-products, including egg shells, and
3. day-old chicks killed for commercial reasons
aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates other than species pathogenic to humans or animals;
animals and parts thereof of the zoological orders of Rodentia and Lagomorpha, except category 1 material as referred to in item (a)(iii), (iv) and (v) and category 2 material as referred to in items (a) to (g);
hides and skins, hooves, feathers, wool, horns, hair and fur originating from dead animals that did not show any signs of disease communicable through that product to humans or animals, other than those referred to in point (b) of this section;
adipose tissue from animals which did not show any signs of disease communicable through that material to humans or animals, which were slaughtered in a slaughterhouse and which were considered fit for slaughter for human consumption following an ante mortem inspection in accordance with community legislation; and
catering waste other than as referred to in item (f) of category 1 material.