Federal Agents Seize Nearly a Ton of Illegal Animal Products in New York City
Federal agents seized and destroyed more than 1,900 pounds of prohibited pork, poultry and ruminant products from New York City-area retailers in the past three months, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reports.
APHIS' Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance (SITC) program discovered these unlawful items sourced from China and lacking required import permits and health certificates between the months of October 2021 to December 2021. Because of this, they are considered a risk of introducing invasive plant and animal pests and diseases into the U.S.
"SITC anti-smuggling efforts prevent the establishment of invasive plant and animal pests and diseases, while maintaining the safety of our ecosystems and natural resources. The recent efforts to safeguard American agriculture represent a continued collaboration between APHIS, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and local New York City officials," APHIS said in a release.
China is affected by African swine fever (ASF), Classical swine fever, Newcastle disease, Foot-and-mouth disease, highly pathogenic avian influenza and swine vesicular disease. However, ASF is of greatest concern right now because the highly contagious and deadly viral disease that affects both domestic and feral swine has recently spread throughout China and Asia, as well as within parts of the European Union. In addition, ASF was recently confirmed in pigs in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Although ASF is not a threat to human health, it would have a significant impact on the U.S. swine herd, pork producers, their communities and export markets if discovered in the U.S.
"ASF has never been found in the United States – and APHIS wants to keep it that way. In response to the concerns about ASF, APHIS is working closely with other federal and state agencies, the swine industry, and producers to take the necessary actions to protect our nation’s commercial swine population and keep this disease out of the U.S. APHIS is also actively preparing to respond if ASF is ever detected in the U.S," the agency said in a release.
SITC’s safeguarding efforts extend to other prohibited agricultural products. In 2021 alone, SITC seized 224,568 pounds of prohibited agricultural items valued at over $1.7 million, helping protect U.S. crops and livestock from devastating and costly plant pests and foreign animal diseases.
Tips from the public help contribute to APHIS’ efforts in safeguarding American agriculture. If you are aware of the potential smuggling of prohibited exotic fruits, vegetables or meat products into or throughout the U.S., contact the confidential Anti-Smuggling Hotline at 301-734-8534 or email tips to SITC.Mail@usda.gov. USDA said it will make every attempt to protect the confidentiality of any information sources during an investigation within the extent of the law.
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