The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has placed restrictions on poultry imports from the United States because of the highly pathogenic avian influence (HPAI) outbreak in that country. All raw poultry and poultry products and by-products that are not fully cooked, including eggs and raw pet foods, that are sourced, processed, or packaged from these states are under restriction.
The states include: California, Nebraska, Idaho, North Dakota, Indiana, Oregon, Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Missouri. Arkansas and Montana were on the list, but those states are now free of HAPI and imports are permitted.
Restricted items include live birds, hatching eggs, eggs, yolks, egg whites, poultry meat, raw pet foods containing poultry products, feathers, poultry manure and litter, and lab material containing poultry products and by-products. Live pet birds can be brought into Canada with official certification from the USDA.
The government says there are no food safety risks associated with these products. The restrictions are in place to prevent the introduction of avian influenza into other parts of Canada.
The U.S. has been hit hard with the avian flu, and millions of birds have been culled. There is an egg shortage too, as a result of the outbreak and loss of birds, and the cost of eggs has increased.
