US-FSIS sets meeting on new mandatory catfish program

On August 10, 2017, the Food Safety and Inspection Service published in the Federal Register a notice announcing an educational meeting to discuss the new mandatory catfish program.

The Final Rule, titled ‘Mandatory Inspection of Fish of the Order Siluriformes and Products Derived from Such Fish,’ went into effect as of August 2, 2017, to abide with direction from the US Congress.

In line with those instructions, all shipments of imported Siluriformes fish and fish products entering the US must be presented at an Official Import Inspection Establishment for reinspection by FSIS personnel.

Fish of the order Siluriformes include fish of several families including catfish (fish of the family Ictaluridae), basa, tra, and swai (fish of the family Pangasiidae), and clarias (fish of the Clariidae family).

FSIS will present information on the upcoming full implementation of the regulatory requirements at official domestic establishments that process Siluriformes fish and fish products, as well as information on entry procedures and reinspection at official import inspection establishments.

FSIS is particularly interested in soliciting participation from representatives from US domestic wild-caught operations that process Siluriformes fish and fish products.

The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Memphis Airport and Convention Centre in Memphis, TN, on Thursday, August 24, 2017; 9 am– 3pm CT.