Effective July 28, 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is exercising its enforcement discretion to allow establishments to request approval to back-cater on foreign-origin commercial aircraft returning to a foreign country within 3 hours of arrival in the United States. Back-catering is the practice of allowing unconsumed food and meals uploaded at a foreign point of origin to remain onboard at a U.S. airport for consumption during the return trip to a foreign port. To back-cater, establishments must have an approved compliance agreement with APHIS and meet the following requirements:
APHIS is taking this action after determining that the measures above will mitigate the risks posed by back-catered meals. Establishments that want to back-cater may contact the local APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine or U.S. Customs and Border Protection representative to apply for a regulated garbage compliance agreement. Information on how to apply for a compliance agreement can be found on the APHIS Regulated Garbage website: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/import-information/regulated-garbage/CT_Regulated_garbage. If you have any questions, please email them to ppq.ops.regulated.garbage@usda.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
