Federal Agents Seize Mooncakes at JFK Airport
U. S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists discovered more than 40 lbs. of Mooncakes, 1,200 lbs. of olives and nearly 2,600 lbs. of clams in a shipment from China at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Aug. 18. The prohibited food items were seized and destroyed by CBP agriculture specialists in accordance with USDA regulations.
Mooncakes, a Chinese bakery product, can contain pork. Because China is a country affected by African swine fever (ASF), classical swine fever (CSF), Newcastle Disease (ND), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and swine vesicular disease (SVD), mooncakes are a prohibited food item.
“CBP Agriculture Specialists are the first line of defense to prevent the introduction of animal diseases that have the potential to cause significant damage to the nation’s agricultural economy,” Frank Russo, Director, Field Operations, New York Field Office, said in the release.
Agriculture is the largest industry and employing sector in the U.S. with more than $1 trillion of economic activity annually, CBP reports. Foreign animal disease is one of the greatest risks to this industry. On a typical day in fiscal year 2021, CBP agriculture specialists intercepted 264 pests at U.S. ports of entry and 2,548 materials for quarantine: plant, meat, animal byproduct and soil.
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