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Selling cheese in America is subject to somewhat more complicated rules than those normally applied to other food products.
This is in part due to the fact that the import and sale of cheese is regulated by both the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] and the USDA [US Department of Agriculture].
To complicate matters, there is also the fact that the import of cheese into the United States is subject to import quotas. The cheese import quotas must be requested by US importers by the end of October of each year and then renewed yearly.
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Italian Health Authority [ASL] Veterinary Certificates for Importing Food Products into the United States of America For all those products that contain milk, milk powder, cream, egg or egg powder, and which are cooked prior to import into the United States, it is necessary to attach to the US import customs documentation declarations of conformity issued by the veterinarian of the Health Authority of the country from which the ingredient originates. Therefore, for the ingredients produced in Italy, the Authority is the ASL. If the ingredient, for example milk, comes from another country [whatever it is], then the declaration/certificate of the veterinarian of the competent authority of that country is required. The issuance of a certificate can become problematic in the event that the supplier mixes milk of various origins or obtains the milk supplies from suppliers of ìdistantî countries [so to speak]. |
For sure, the statutory requirements for exporting cheese to the US is complicated. But, unlike in other countries, the rules are clear and straightforward. In other words, those who follow the rules to the letter can export their cheese to the US.
In other words, ExportUSA provides both regulatory advice for the import of cheese: FDA, USDA, cheese import permits and customs duties; and commercial advice required to sell the cheese in the US through specialized distributors.
Below is a summary of the FDA, USDA, and customs regulations governing the entry and sale of cheese in the United States:
As with other food products, cheese too needs FDA-compliant labels. In addition to the nutritional values, the FDA requires some indications on the label which vary according to the type of cheese [soft cheese, aged cheese, etc.]
In the case of the sale of cheese, the USDA also applies to cheeses a series of regulations that regulate their import into the US. Elements such as the cheese fat percentage, the fat percentage from butter, the cheese manufacturing process, etc., affect the documentation required for the sale of cheese in the United States.
Only companies based in the United States can apply for cheese import quotas. Furthermore, the import quotas for cheese are only allocated to companies that have imported and sold significant quantities of cheese during the previous year. Apart from that, even without a quota, it is still possible to export cheese to the United States, although the customs duties are higher.
Following the entry into force of complex regulations governing the import of cheese into the USA, calculating the duty for cheeses to be imported is rather challenging, especially if you do not have the cheese import quotas.
ExportUSA takes care of ensuring that your products adhere to FDA standards. We make sure that all food products, cosmetics, medical devices, and dietary supplements comply with FDA regulations.
https://www.exportusa.eu/fda-compliance-exportusa.php