GCCA and MICA Petition FSIS to Change “50-mile” Rule

On July 26^th, GCCA along with the Meat Import Council of America (MICA) submitted a petition to USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) asking the agency to change the current interpretation of the “50-mile” rule for grants of inspection for import establishments (I-Houses).  GCCA and MICA are requesting FSIS to reinterpret current internal policies requiring all import facilities seeking grants of inspection to be geographically located within 50 miles of a US land or seaport of entry. Current application of the “50-mile” rule is unnecessarily limiting and causes inefficiencies in the supply chain. The petition asserts that the agency should allow grants of inspection for imported products from facilities beyond the 50-mile radius when individual circumstances warrant that decision.  The petition argues that the requested change will improve efficiency, reduce costs, and reduce congestion in the US supply chain. The “50-mile” rule was the subject of discussion with FSIS during the recent GCCA Policy Forum and has been identified as a priority by the GCCA Government Affairs Committee.