The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the United States Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have worked closely together to implement the US’s Public Health Inspection system (PHIS) for the issuance of export certificates from the United States to Canada with digital signatures.
Starting June 13, 2022, the FSIS will onboard the CFIA into the PHIS and all certificates for meat and poultry products imported into Canada from the United States will be digitally signed.
FSIS’s Export Certificate of Wholesomeness for Meat and Poultry (FSIS Form 9060-5, 5A, 5B) generated by PHIS export component will replace the Certificate for Export of Meat and Poultry Products to Canada (Form 9135-3). FSIS will print PHIS-generated FSIS 9060-5 series (FSIS Form 9060-5, 5A, 5B, 5S) that are digitally signed in PHIS on plain paper, containing the watermark: “Approved Certificate – Available for Validation in PHIS.”
Any shipments certified by FSIS prior to June 13, 2022, will have the current paper form of the certificate with a wet signature (FSIS Form 9135-3).
Further details on the appearance of the new certificate and digital signature and how it will be implemented will be communicated in the coming weeks.
