The certification of the production facilities is the fundamental requirement to be able to export salami, ham and mortadella to the United States of America

The sale of ham, salami and mortadella in the United States has been steadily increasing since 2010. American consumers have begun to recognize and appreciate the cured meats of foreign producers

ExportUSA is now able to certify sausage production facilities to allow foreign producers to import ham, salami and mortadella to the United States of America

Importing sausages such as salami or mortadella and raw/cooked ham into the United States has always been difficult due to the health checks and inspections conducted in the US by the FDA and USDA

ExportUSA has the experience to set up and complete the entire certification procedure of the production facility through a partnership with one of the best foreign food technology companies

The American market represents a unique sales opportunity for sausages and hams

All the supermarket chains in the US sell various brands of salami and ham. In addition to traditional American brands [Oscar Mayer, Hillshire Farm and Hormel], traditional supermarkets also offer at least one brand of foreign cured meats for sale. It is interesting to note the presence on the market of salami/ham brands with an Italian name, but which are not Italians: Olli salami and La Quercia ham.

If the opportunity to increase sales through the export of salami and ham to the United States is tempting, it must also be said that if the production facilities are not certified, that is, they are not compliant with the directives issued by the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] and by the USDA [the US Department of Agriculture], it is impossible to import cured meats/hams/sausages into the United States of America.

The critical issue concern Listeria.
For import into the US, cured meats must not have any level of Listeria.

It should be noted that checks are carried out on cured meats upon entry into the US customs, but also later, directly in supermarkets, for example, where the FDA/USDA conduct joint inspections on the packages of salami or ham sold to the public in the US.

The certification of production facilities for exporting ham to the United States has two levels:

• The first is documentary and procedural;
   
• The second is technical in nature.

Through its partnership with company expert in food technology and specialized in certifications for the United States, ExportUSA can assist companies in the whole certification process of sausage, hams and salami production facilities, in order to pass FDA and USDA inspection.

The certification of the production facilities is crucial: without it,it is not possible to import cured meats into the United States

The certification of sausage production facilities is conducted once or twice a year

A joint commission comprising FDA/USDA delegates arrives from the US and works together with Italian officials from the relevant Ministry.

The final inspection, preceded by several pre-inspections, which includes the revision of documents and procedures, involves two fundamental aspects: processes and procedures [HACCP manual, first and foremost] and the production facility itself [machinery, personnel, maintenance, configuration of machinery, warehouses, cured meats storage practices, etc.]

The cost of certifying the ham and salami production facilities is not trivial, but it is the basic requirement to be able to sell in the US. It should be seen, on the one hand, as an investment and, on the other, as the ticket to enter the most promising market to sell salami and ham: the United States of America.