Cuba makes it more flexible for travelers to import powdered milk and other products of animal origin.

Photo: MINAG website

The National Center for Animal Health (CENASA) belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG) relaxes the special sanitary regulations for the importation of food of animal origin by travelers and natural persons.

For imports of products of animal origin destined for human consumption, there are sanitary regulations established by CENASA.

These regulations are based on international standards approved within the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and are aimed at preventing the introduction of biological agents that cause harmful diseases to domestic animals, wildlife and man in the case of zoonoses.

In the case of Cuba, the legal basis that protects these regulations (duly harmonized with international legal norms) is Decree Law 137 of 1993 "On Veterinary Medicine" and Resolution 537 of 2020 of the Minister of Agriculture "Regulation of the Decree Law 137 of Veterinary Medicine”, published in Official Gazette No. 6 Ordinary, dated April 19, 1993 and in Official Gazette No. 11 Ordinary, dated January 29, 2021, respectively.

Commercial food imports are subject to requirements and procedures covered by sanitary, commercial and legal regulations that are duly harmonized between the authorities of the countries, importing and exporting companies and suppliers;

thus ensuring the quality and safety of food and facilitating the trade of safe goods.

These are different from those received as donations and those made by travelers or natural persons.

The absolute prohibitions for the importation of food of animal origin by travelers are due to compliance with the animal health requirements mentioned above, taking into account the animal health situation of the countries of origin, which may be different even in the same geographical area.

This is the reason why certain prohibitions have been maintained for the entry of food into the national territory, in the case of travelers arriving from different countries and regions of the world.

Absolute import prohibitions:

  • Fresh, frozen, dehydrated or salted meats, with or without bones;

    edible organ meats;

    semi-finished meat products (hamburgers; mincemeats; meatballs; shaped as meat sticks, nuggets and other breaded products; raw sausages; salamis; spreadable pastas; raw ham, sausages and raw, fermented, braised bacon, pepperoni, cervelat and other fermented raw products ) and semi-cooked products.

  • Any product or by-product of animal origin with bones.

  • Fluid milk and dairy products in general NOT PASTEURIZED.

  • Import facilities:

  • Canned meat (canned) from bovine, porcine and poultry

    , duly identified and from recognized commercial brands, coming from countries that due to their current animal health situation and agreements established between Official Veterinary Services are eligible for Cuba (Spain, Portugal, Italy, United States , Canada, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay)

  • Sausages.

    They are authorized on a temporary basis, coming from countries that due to their current animal health situation and agreements established between Official Veterinary Services are eligible for Cuba (Spain, Portugal, Italy, United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay)

  • Canned seafood

    originating from any geographical area.

  • UHT fluid milk, condensed, evaporated, and dairy desserts

    originating from any geographic area.

  • Powdered milk

    originating from any geographic area.

  • Pasteurized mature cheeses

    originating from any geographical area or made from ultra-pasteurized milk.

  • The flexibilities of the products are given by the country where they were made or produced.

    Therefore, the list of eligible countries is given by the country that is reflected on the product labels.

    It is specified that these facilities and the list of eligible countries could be modified in relation to changes in the animal health situation of the countries of origin (those where the food is produced and is reflected on the product label), and may be subject to constant changes. , which will be systematically updated on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Cuba.

    All products will arrive fully packaged, of recognized brands and properly labeled, without breakage in the packaging.

    Those products whose packaging suffers any breakage or deterioration that could become a vehicle for etiological agents that cause diseases, will be confiscated and incinerated.

    DINNER.

    import requirements

    For more information in this regard, consult or clarify any doubt, contact the following people:

    Dr. Jose Antonio Hernandez Rabelo

    Head of Department of Quarantine and Food Safety

    dircuarentena@dsa.minag.gob.cu Phone: +5378337229, +5352114947

    Dr. Juan Carlos Alvarez Balmaseda

    Principal Specialist Quarantine and Control of International Trade

    quarantine@dsa.minag.gob.cu Phone: +5378337330, +5352098021

    NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH CENTER

    Address: National Center for Animal Health.

    Calle 12 No. 355 between 15 and 17. Vedado.

    Revolution Square.

    Havana.

    TEL: 78306615 – 52792788|

    dirgeneral@dsa.minag.gob.cu – director@dsa.minag.gob.cu

    (Taken from the MINAG site

    )