Officials Are Urging People Not To Take Turkeys Across The Canada-US Border & Here's Why
Best not to bring that bird into the country, folks. 🦃
Cars lining up at the US-Canada border. Right: Packaged poultry in a store.
Right ahead of Canada's Thanksgiving weekend, officials are warning Canadians not to bring their turkeys in from certain parts of the U.S.
In an email to Narcity Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says they have restricted people from bringing any raw poultry or poultry products from U.S. states experiencing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
This includes border states such as Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Idaho and Washington.
So, those who are trying to bring any raw poultry into Canada will have to have documentation, such as a receipt, stating that it was purchased in a U.S. state not affected by HPAI outbreaks.
"Those without proper documentation will have to surrender their poultry to Canada Border Services Officers for disposal, or return the item to the grocery store," the email states.
What is allowed across the US border?
That being said, the restriction doesn't apply to poultry in all its forms!
You can actually bring products that are retail packaged and fully cooked. That means if there's a label saying "ready to eat" or "fully cooked," that's a good indication it's safe to be brought it.
So you can cross over with rotisserie chicken, chicken soup and soup mixes, deli meat, chicken or turkey hot dogs and fully cooked chicken or turkey sandwiches and wraps.
What is not allowed across the US border?
What you should steer clear from at the moment are poultry products that are fresh, raw or unprocessed, if coming from a state experiencing an outbreak.
So, say no to raw poultry meat — and yes, that includes frozen turkeys and chicken!
Cooked leftovers from a restaurant might also be problematic.
Make sure you're travelling safe this long weekend, Canada!
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.