ROME – A long-standing ban on the import of Italian salami to the United States due to Federal Drug Administration (FDA) rules against cured-pork meat imports will be lifted starting May 28, an announcement by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (Aphis) said on Friday.
The move could open up a new world of Italian salami to the United States, considering also the usual buzz behind any Italian product.
“This is a momentous event – one of the most important for the production and export of Italian salami and the result of 15 years of (lobbying) work,” Italian industry association Assica said.
The department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services explained the move saying that an in-country assessment has determined that four regions of Italy are free of swine vesicular disease, a dangerous communicable ailment that infects pigs. Due to that “the importation of pork or pork products from these areas presents no risks for American consumers.”
Specifically the mentioned regions are Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto and Piemonte, as well as the provinces of Trento and Bolzano. Without any doubt those are areas that produce some of the best salami in the world.
Since the introduction ban, in the 1960s, some pork products, such as Prosciutto di Parma or San Daniele, have still been imported from Italy under a specific certification. But only certain producers could afford the expense of trying to receive that aforementioned certification.
From now on the inspection and certification process won’t rely anymore on the same strict standards even if, as of today, it is not disclosed yet which requirements will need to be met by the many producers in Italy.
But whatever the certification and standards of quality will be, the relaxation of the ban will permit more artisanal salami to be imported in the US and at the same time will help the entire market to provide better products for conscious consumers.
“Until now Americans have been forced to buy low-quality imitations of Italian cured meats,” said farmers’ organization Coldiretti.
Coldiretti estimates that the ban costs the industry more than 250 million euros ($325 million) per year in lost exports.
Generally speaking, the importation of fresh, dried or canned meats or meat products is generally not allowed from most foreign countries into the United States. This includes products that have been prepared with meat.
In very few cases swine and swine products can enter the United States.
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