"Detention Without Physical Examination of Imported Soft Cheese and Soft Ripened Cheese from France"

Early in 1986, Listeria monocytogenes was identified in a shipment of brie cheese produced in France. As a result, subsequent shipments of brie cheese produced in the same plant were detained without physical examination. Sampling of additional shipments of imported cheeses revealed that cheese from other French plants contained Listeria monocytogenes and, by mid 1986, all brie and other soft-ripened cheeses from France were detained without physical examination. Subsequent sampling and analyses determined that Listeria monocytogenes was present in shipments from plants in other countries, and shipments from these plants were placed on detention without physical examination on a case-by-case basis.

On January 16, 1987, the Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs (ACRA) agreed to the December, 1986, revision of the French Plant and Product Certification Program which included a requirement for use of pasteurized milk and Listeria testing for soft-ripened cheeses and goat cheeses.

CERTIFICATION PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

In 1974, a certification program was initiated in France under which only those plants, certified by the French government to be following good manufacturing practices, were permitted to export soft-ripened cheese to the United States.

In January, 1987, it was agreed that the requirement for the use of pasteurized milk and Listeria testing would be covered under this program, which was subsequently expanded to certify goat cheeses as well.

Green List:

This is a list of French plants certified by the French Ministry of Agriculture to export only pasteurized milk soft-ripened cheeses to the United States. b(4)                                                                                              The list provides the following information:

Name and address of plant

Plant Identification: The new approval numbers are 7 or 8 digits, the first five of which reflect the old approval number.

Basic Agreement (Agreement BASIC (I)): Date for which the plant has been certified for absence of E.coli, fecal coliforms, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, and Shigella in the final products.

Listeria Agreement (Agreement Listeria): The date for which the plant has been certified for absence of Listeria monocytogenes in the final product(s).

Products: Type of cheese manufactured by the plant and the certification status that has been granted. When certification status varies between products, the plant is repeated for each product.

The following abbreviations are used to describe the types of products:

F = Soft-ripened cheese with flourished crust(Example: Brie)
G = Goat Cheese
M = Soft-ripened cheese made from cow's and goat's milk
W = Soft-ripened cheese with washed crust(Example: Pont l'Eveque)
X = Soft-ripened flavored cheese
E = Soft ripened cheese from ewe's (sheep) milk
Y = soft cheese (feta type cheese from cow's milk)

Districts may detain without physical examination soft cheeses from French plants which are not listed on the Green List for this alert.

French plants listed in Green List are covered by the certification program and not subject to detention without physical examination.

FDA intends to update the Green List periodically as new information is received from the French government.

Districts may detain cheese from manufacturers listed in the Red List without physical examination.

The Red List provides a list of French firms whose cheeses should generally be detained without physical examination for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

FDA intends for all detentions for L. monocytogenes to be immediately reported to CFSAN, Rosemary Gary, HFS-606, at 202-436-2058.

Recommendations to place a firm on detention without physical examination should be sent to DIOP, HFC-170. Refer to the Domestic and Imported Cheese and Cheese Products Compliance Program (CP 7303.037) for sampling, analytical, and regulatory guidance.

(Please NOTE: samples may also be analyzed for phosphatase and other
microorganisms).

The following list provides the names of French cheeses covered under the Import Alert. Examples of French Soft Cheeses Covered by Import Alert #12-03 (i.e. cheeses that are required to be made from pasteurized milk in order to enter the United States):

A Filetta
Abbaye de la Pierre-qui-vire
Ambert
Anneau du Vic-Bilh
Aperobic
Aromes au Vin Blanc
Autun
Baguette Laonnaise
Banon
Banon a la feuille
Beaujolais pur Chevre
Berger Plat
Bergues
Besace de Pur Chevre
Bigoton
Bilou du Jura
Bondard
Bonde
Bonde de Gatine
Bondon
Bougon
Boule de Moines
Boulette d'Avesnes
Boulette de Cambrai
Boursault
Boursin
Bouton de Culotte
Bouton d'Oc
Brebicet
Brebis du Lochois
Brebis Frais du Caussedou
Bressan
Breuil
Brie
Brie de Coulommiers
Brie de la Brie
Brie de Meaux (AOC)
Brie de Melun (AOC)
Brie de Montereau
Brie de Nangis
Brie de Provins
Brie fermier
Brillat-Savarin
Brique Ardechoise
Brique du Forez
Briquette de Brebis
Briquette de Coubon
Broccio
Broccio Demi-Affine
Brocciu (AOC)
Brousse du Rove
Buche de Chevre
Buchette d'Anjou
Buchette de Banon
Butte
Cabecou
Cabecou de Gramat
Cabecou de Normandie
Cabecou de Rocamadour (AOC)
Cabri Corolle
Cachaille
Cachat
Calenzana (Le Niolo)
Camembert
Camembert Affine au Cindre de la Maison
Camembert de Normandie (AOC)
Capri Lezeen
Caprice des Dieux
Capricorne de Jarjat
Carre de l'Est
Cenberona
Cendre d'Olivet
Cervelle de Canut
Chabichou / Chabis
Chabichou du Poitou (AOC)
Chabis de Gatine
Chaource (AOC)
Charolais
Charolles
Chef-Boutonne
Chevre A L'Huile d'Olive et a laSarriette
Chevre Fermier
Chevre Fermier Alpilles
Chevre Fermier du Chateau-Vert
Chevre Frais
Chevrotin des Aravis
Civray
Clacbitou
Claqueret Lyonnais
Clochette
Coer d'Avesnes
Coeur d'Arras
Coeur de Camembert au Calvados
Coeur de Chevre
Coeur du Berry
Confit d'Epoisses
Couhe-Verac
Coulommiers
Cremoulin Boite
Crottin d'Ambert
Crottin De Chavignol (AOC)
Crottin de Pays
Crottin du Berry A L'Huile d'Olive
Crottin Le Chevrot
Croupet
Dauphin
Delice de Pommard
Delice de Saint-Cyr
Delice des Fiouves
Dreux a la Feuille
Epoisses
Epoisses de Bourgogne (AOC)
Explorateur
Faisselle de Chevre
Feuille de Dreux
Figue
Fin-de-Siecle
Florette
Fondant de Brebis
Fontainbleau
Fourme de Chevre Ardeche
Fourme de Haut Loire
Frinault
Fromage au Lait de Chevre/Chevre de pays
Fromage au Pur Lait de Brebis
Fromage Blanc
Fromage Blanc Fermier
Fromage Cendre
Fromage Corse
Fromage Corse Niolo
Fromage de Brebis
Fromage de Chevre Ariege
Fromage de Chevre de Coin
Fromage de Chevre Fermier
Fromage de Chevre Larzac
Fromage de Lactoserum
Fromage de Monsieur
Fromage du Jas
Fromage Fermier
Fromage Fermier Brebis
Fromage Fermier de Chevre de la Tavagna
Fromage fermier pur brebis
Fromage Fort du Lyonnais
Fromage Frais de Nimes
Fromagee du Larzac
Fromageon fermier au lait cru de brebis
Galet de Bigorre
Galet Solognot
Galette des Monts du Lyonnais
Galette du Pauludier
Galette Lyonnaise
Gardian
Gastanberra
Goat Camembert
Gournay Frais
Grand Colombier des Aillons
Grand Vatel
Grataron d'Areches
Gratte-Paille
Greuilh
Gris de Lille
Guerbigny
Jean de Brie
La Bouille
La Fougere
La Taupiniere
L'Ami du Chambertin
Langres (AOC)
Le Bouca
Le Cathelain
Le Caussedou
Le Chevrot Blanc
Le Cornilly
Le Fium'Orbo
Le Fougerus
Le Lacandou
Le Pave
Le Pave du Plessis
Le Pitchou
Le Roule
Le Saulxurois
Le Venaco
Le Vieux Corse
L'Ecir de l'Aubrac
Lingot Saint Bousquet d'Orb
Livarot (AOC)
Lucullus
Lyonnais
Maconnais
Maroilles (AOC)
Monsieur Fromage
Mont d'Or (AOC)
Mont d'Or du Lyonnais
Mothais a la Feuille
Moularen
Munster (AOC)
Munster d'Alsace
Munster Gerome (AOC)
Nantais/Cure
Neufchatel
Olivet au Foin
Olivet Cendre
Palet de Babligny
Pate de Fromage
Patefine Fort
Pave Blesois
Pave d'Affinois
Pave d'Auge
Pave de Chirac
Pave de la Ginestarie
Pelardon des Cevennes
Pelardon des Corbieres
Perail
Persillade de Chevre
Petit Quercy
Petit Suisse
Petit Vatel
Picadou
Picodon (AOC)
Picon de Chevre
Pierre Robert
Pithiviers au Foin
Poivre d'ane or Pevre d'ai
Pont-L'Eveque (AOC)
Pouligny-Saint-Pierre (AOC)
Pourly
P'tit Berrichon
Pyramide
Quatre-Vents
Reblochon (AOC)
Reblochon de Savoie (AOC)
Rigotte de Condrieu
Rigotte de Sainte-colombe
Rigotte d'Echalas
Rigotte des Alpes
Rocamadour
Rogeret de Lamastre
Rollot
Roucoulons
Saint Agur
Saint Andre
Saint Felicien de Lamastre
Saint Marcellin
Saint Maure de Touraine (AOC)
Saint Pancrace
Saint Paulin
Saint Remy
Saint Sim on
San Petrone
Santranges
Sechon de Chevre Dromois
Segalou
Selles-Sur-Cher (AOC)
Serac
Soumaintrain
Tome de Banon
Tome de Romans/Romans
Tomme Capra
Tomme d'Arles
Tomme de Chevre
Tomme de Chevre Vallee de Novel
Tomme de L'Aveyron
Tomme de Seranon
Tomme Fraiche
Tommette de l'Aveyron
Toucy
Tricorne de MaransU Rustinu
Vache Frais
Vacherin d'Abondance Fermie
Vacherin des Bauge
Vacherin du Haut Doubs (AOC)
Valbreso Feta
Valencay (AOC)
Vendomois
Vignelait
Vignotte


Since this Import Alert covers soft and soft-ripened cheeses only, all other cheeses from France, when detained for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, should be recommended for detention without physical examination under Import Alert #12-10.

For any issues and/or questions, not resolved by review of the Compliance Program, regarding science, science policy, sample collection, analysis, preparation, analytical methodology or confirmation tests, districts should contact the Division of Field Science at 301 796-6600.

All requests for removal from detention without physical examination should be address to DIOP 301-796-0356.

Soft cheese (includes soft and soft ripened) made from pasteurized milk.

"The article is subject to refusal of admission pursuant to Section 801(a)(3) in that it appears to be adulterated in that it appears to contain Listeria monocytogenes a poisonous and deleterious substance which may be injurious to health. [Adulteration, 402(a)(1)]"

OASIS Charge code: LISTERIA