Nearly eight years since the inaugural mission to Italy by the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to scrutinize Swine Vesicular Disease (SVD) control systems in Umbria and Tuscany, the Federal Register has at last announced the formal expansion of APHIS-recognized SVD-free zones. This paves the way for the export of Tuscany and Umbria-produced cold cuts to the USA.
Though Swine Vesicular Disease was eradicated across Italy by 2019, US regulations stipulate that recognition of third-party countries’ disease-free status hinges on a risk assessment conducted by APHIS. Following a rigorous evaluation, US authorities have deemed Tuscany and Umbria ‘SVD-free,’ crediting Italy’s robust surveillance, prevention, and control measures as effective deterrents against disease introduction via imports.
With this development, the ‘Northern Macroregion’ expands to encompass Piedmont, Valle d’Aosta, Liguria, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Marche, Tuscany, Umbria, alongside the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano, now officially SVD-free for the American market.
“This extension of SVD-free status to Tuscany and Umbria holds profound strategic significance for the industry at large. Beyond unlocking American markets for select Italian cured meats like Finocchiona PGI or Prosciutto di Norcia PGI, sourced from these regions, it also streamlines export certification processes for plants in other SVD-free areas with ties to Tuscany and Umbria,” notes Davide Calderone, Director of Assica, the Italian association representing meat and cold cuts industries.
The journey to this milestone has been protracted and intricate. Initial appeals for SVD-free recognition, lodged by the European Council, European Commission, and the Italian government, date back to July 1997. Now, the long-awaited expansion of the Macroregion to Tuscany and Umbria marks a significant stride forward.