Good luck with that!
Not worth the risk when they tell you straight up NO BILTONG
I'm never gonna suggest this as an option to one of my hunters. We all have a different comfort level regarding the interpretation of the law. I don't screw with these folks when a connection is pending and they tell you " NO BILTONG" that's a clear enough statement to me to be very definitive.
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USDA establishes agricultural import regulations to prevent the introduction of potentially devastating animal and plant pests and diseases into the United States. South Africa is affected by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which is a major foreign disease of concern for U.S. animal agriculture. Because of this, anyone importing cured and dried meat from South Africa, including biltong, for personal consumption or otherwise, needs to obtain a valid meat inspection certificate for the product while in South Africa. This certificate must accompany the importation into the United States and must have been issued by an authorized official of the national government of the country of origin as cited in Title 9, Code of Federal regulations, part 94.4(a)(4). The certificate must state that the meat has been processed according to all of the following conditions:
• All bones were completely removed in the country of origin.
• The meat was held in an unfrozen, fresh condition for at least 3 days immediately following the slaughter of the animals from which it was derived.
• The meat was thoroughly cured and fully dried to the extent that the product is shelf stable without refrigeration.
• The meat was dried to the extent that the water-to-protein ratio in the wet-test portion of the product does not exceed 2.25 to 1
You must have the certificate in your possession when you enter the United States with the biltong, or otherwise the product will be seized by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspectors at the U.S. port of entry. The entry procedure the CBP inspector will refer to is found in USDA’s Animal Products Manual on Table 3-12-20: “Cured and Dried Meat of Ruminants from a Country Known to Be Affected with Only FMD.” If you wish to review this reference, you can access the Animal Products Manual at
www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/apm.pdf. Please also be aware that the import of any amount of dried meat over 50 pounds will also be referred to for inspection by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
If you have any questions, or require further information related to imports of animal products or by-products, please contact National Center for Import and Export at (301) 851-3300, or send an e-mail to
[email protected].
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If you have the capacity to gather this up before you come home with a package of biltong, you're a way better man then I am!
