Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1013 Procedure

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 August 11, 2021

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 1 of 5 

Date Issued: 04/14/06

USDA EXPORT VERIFICATION (EV) PROGRAM

SPECIFIED PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS

NON-HORMONE TREATED CATTLE (NHTC)

FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION

1 Purpose

This document provides the specified product requirements which are in addition to the USDA 

Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulatory requirements for marketing U.S. bovine meat 

and meat products to the European Union (EU) produced from U.S. born and raised cattle. 

2 Scope

These requirements apply to U.S. companies including cattle management groups, individual 

producers, stockers, and feedlots that supply cattle to approved harvest and processing facilities that 

are eligible for export to the EU as listed on the FSIS website. Suppliers who produce cattle that 

meet the specified product requirements, in addition to the USDA FSIS regulatory requirements, 

must produce the eligible cattle under an approved USDA Quality System Assessment (QSA) 

Program. The requirements for the QSA Program are defined in QAD 1002 Procedure: USDA 

Quality System Assessment Program. The QSA Program ensures that the specified product 

requirements are supported by a documented quality management system. 

Alternatively, a supplier may produce the eligible cattle under an approved USDA Process Verified 

Program (PVP). The requirements of the PVP are defined in QAD 1001 Procedure: USDA Process 

Verified Program. 

FSIS has developed guidelines for the industry, which provide the system requirements and 

components of the program: Program for Certifying Non-hormone Treated Beef to the European 

Union. 

3 Reference Documents

QAD 1000 Procedure: Quality Systems Verification Programs, General Policies and Procedures

QAD 1001 Procedure: USDA Process Verified Program

QAD 1002 Procedure: USDA Quality System Assessment (QSA) Program

GU0273AFA Additional Requirements for NHTC Program 

USDA AMS: Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) Program website

USDA FSIS: Export Library - Requirements by country website 

USDA FSIS: Program for Certifying Non-hormone Treated Beef to the European Union pdf 
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1013 Procedure

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 August 11, 2021

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 2 of 5 

Date Issued: 04/14/06

4 Additions to QSA Program Requirements

The specified product requirements listed in Section 5 and Section 6 of this procedure must be met 

through an approved QSA Program. The QSA Program ensures that the specified product 

requirements are supported by a documented quality management system. In addition to the 

requirements listed in QAD 1002 Procedure, Section 7, Program Requirements, companies must 

also incorporate the following requirements into their QSA Program:

4.1 Internal Audit

4.1.1 The company must conduct internal audits at planned intervals. 

4.1.2 The internal audit must determine whether the company's Quality 

Management System (QMS): 

a) Conforms to the planned arrangements, to the requirements of this 

procedure, and to the QMS requirements established by the company; 

and 

b) Is effectively implemented and maintained.

4.1.3 The company must have a documented procedure which defines: 

a) The planning of an audit program, which must consider the status and 

importance of the processes and areas to be audited, as well as the 

results of the previous audit;

b) The audit criteria, scope, frequency, and methods; 

c) The selection criteria of the auditors and conduct of auditors which 

must ensure objectivity and impartiality of the audit process (Auditors 

must not audit their own work.);

d) The responsibilities for planning and conducting audits; 

e) The reporting of results;

f) The follow-up activities (Follow-up activities must include the 

verification of the actions taken and the reporting of the verification 

results.); and

g) The maintenance of records.

4.1.4 Within the area being audited, management must ensure that actions are 

taken without undue delay to eliminate detected non-conformances and their 

causes.
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1013 Procedure

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 August 11, 2021

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 3 of 5 

Date Issued: 04/14/06

4.1.5 The company must maintain records of the internal audits.

4.2 Company's Suppliers Listing

4.2.1 When a company approves its own suppliers, the company must maintain an 

approved suppliers listing. 

4.2.2 The approved suppliers listing must: 

a) Identify the supplier’s name, address, and approval date; and

b) Be available to the USDA for review.

4.2.3 The company must also maintain the date suppliers were removed from the 

suppliers listing. 

4.3 Supplier Evaluations and Re-evaluations

The company must conduct an initial onsite evaluation of each supplier prior to approving 

the supplier under the program.

4.3.1 The company must take into consideration the risk associated with the 

supplier when determining the frequency of the onsite re-evaluation. At a 

minimum, the company must conduct an onsite re-evaluation of each 

approved supplier on an annual basis.

4.3.2 The company must ensure that the evaluator is independent and free from 

bias and conflict of interest.

4.3.3 The company must ensure that the final decision of approval is determined by 

someone other than the evaluator.

4.3.4 The findings and final decision must be based on the evidence gathered 

during the evaluations and re-evaluations.

4.4 Record Retention

4.4.1 Records must be retained for a period projected to be 1 year beyond the date 

of export of meat products to the EU. For each industry sector, the minimum 

requirement must be:

a) Cow/calf operations - 3 years from date of birth

b) Yearling stocker operations - 2 years from date of sale or transfer to 

feedlot

c) Auction markets - 30 months from date of sale
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1013 Procedure

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 August 11, 2021

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 4 of 5 

Date Issued: 04/14/06

d) Feedlot operations - 18 months from date of harvest 

5 Specified Product Requirements for Live Animals

5.1 Animals must not be administered hormonal growth promotants (HGPs) at any time 

during their lifetime.

5.2 Animals must be traceable to their farm or ranch of birth using live animal 

production records. Verification activities for specified product requirements must 

be conducted at applicable levels as required by the submitted QSA Program. 

5.3 Animals must be obtained from, and must be traceable to, approved companies that 

appear on the Official Listing of Approved Sources of Non-Hormone Treated Cattle.

5.4 Animals must be identified prior to leaving the place of birth with a program 

compliant ear tag. A Program compliant ear tag is a 1-time use, tamper-evident tag, 

which contains a non-repeatable, unique number. It may be an EID, RFID, or a 

visual tag. The company must provide evidence that the tag meets these 

requirements.

5.5 The company must maintain sufficient records of all rations fed to animals for the 

life span of the animal to demonstrate compliance. The records must identify the 

source and ingredients of pre-mixed feed and supplements.

5.6 When feed or supplements are obtained from sources that process feeds containing 

HGPs, the company must periodically test feeds to ensure procedures in place 

effectively prevent HGP-treated feeds from being fed to program animals. As an 

alternative, if the feed supplier has an additive-control program monitored by a State 

or Federal agency, the company may obtain a certificate of compliance or letter of 

guarantee stating that the feed to be used for program animals is free of HGPs.

5.7 If HGPs are used on the premises, the company must develop and maintain written 

procedures for accounting for the acquisition, inventory, use, and disposal of all HGP 

used on the premises. The procedures must ensure that feeds treated with HGPs do 

not contaminate feed for program animals. Applicable records must be maintained.

5.8 The company must provide evidence of regular veterinary visits to the farm or ranch. 

The frequency of these visits should at minimum be annually. 

5.9 Shipping documentation (bills of lading, shipping manifests, letters of guarantee, or 

electronic transmissions) must accompany each shipment of animals that occurs due 

to sale or transfer of custody. Shipping documentation must have the statement 

“Cattle Meet EV Program Requirements for the EU” and must clearly identify the 

animals and the quantity. 
___________________________________

Jeff Waite, Branch Chief

Quality Assessment Division

Livestock and Poultry Program

Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1013 Procedure

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 August 11, 2021

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 5 of 5 

Date Issued: 04/14/06

6 Listing of Approved Programs

6.1 U.S. companies who produce live animals that meet the specified product 

requirements for the European Union are listed on the Official Listing of Approved 

Sources of Non-Hormone Treated Cattle. The Official Listing is available on the 

NHTC Program website.

7 Audit Frequency 

A company that does not approve suppliers under its program is audited at least once per fiscal year 

(October 1 to September 30). However more frequent audits may be conducted (1) if either 

numerous major or minor non-conformances are identified during an audit; (2) if customer 

complaints indicate an ongoing problem; (3) to satisfy specific requests as declared by customers, 

trading partners, or other financial interested parties; or (4) as directed by the QAD Branch Chief.

A company that does approve suppliers under its program is audited in accordance with the audit 

frequency outlined in QAD 1002 Procedure. 

8 Responsibilities

U.S. companies must meet all policies and procedures outlined in this procedure, QAD 1000 

Procedure: Quality Systems Verification Programs, General Policies and Procedures, QAD 1001 

Procedure: USDA Process Verified Program and QAD 1002 Procedure: Quality System Assessment 

(QSA) Program. 

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and 

employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender 

identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political 

beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and 

complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) 

should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-

8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program 

Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a 

copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.