No word when Canada’s ban on poultry products from WA State will be lifted

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A ban on bringing poultry products over the border from Washington State is still in place and likely will be for a while longer.

That’s what the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is saying as it complies with World Health Organization guidelines.

The CFIA says the ban will stay in place until all of the affected farms and sites in the state have gotten rid of the avian flu, but there’s no timeline as to when that could happen.

Amanda Olson is an assistant manager at a grocery store in Lynden. She says they’re losing thousands of dollars every week, as Canadians are forced to return their chicken and eggs.

“By putting signs up, we try to say, ‘Hey, this is what’s up.’ And sometimes they do get to come back and that helps, but a lot of the times it’s just confiscated.”

“A customer will come in and if they don’t see the sign, they’ll purchase poultry or eggs and try to go to the border, but the border guard will confiscate them and then they’re out that money. That’s upsetting and disappointing for them too,” adds Olson.

She explains they’ve had to cut back on hours for staff, but haven’t had to lay off anyone. Olson points out the low Canadian dollar is also affecting their bottom line.

Due to the avian flu outbreak in Washington State in recent months, the CFIA implemented the ban in early January.

Examples of prohibited items listed on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s website include:
– live birds and hatching eggs
– eggs, yolks, egg whites (albumen)
– poultry meat (other than fully cooked, canned, commercially sterile meat products)
– raw pet foods containing poultry products
– feathers
– poultry manure and litter
– laboratory material containing poultry products/by-products

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