CBP seize, destroy 34k pounds of condensed milk from Mexico due to fraud labeling

PHARR, Texas (ValleyCentral) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations officers seized 34,286 pounds of sweetened condensed milk for not having the proper documentation.

On Oct. 28 officers inspected a tractor trailer attempting to enter the United States through the Pharr International Bridge from Mexico with a shipment labeled as "canned cream or milk substitute."

The shipment was sent for a secondary inspection by agriculture specialists. The specialists reviewed the shipment and could not determine if the certificate was authentic.

^{Photo of the sweetened condensed milk seized by CBP (Photo courtesy of CBP)}

A Zoosanitary Certificate, issued by the Mexican Government, is required for shipments with products and byproducts of animal origin to make entry to the United States.

The shipment in question contained cow’s milk, meaning it required a Zoosanitary Certificate which certifies the product to be free from foot and mouth disease and did not traverse through a country with risk of foot and mouth disease.

With assistance from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), contact was made with Mexican government officials who confirmed that the certificate was not issued by them and therefore fraudulent.

This discover was made Nov. 26, almost a month later. As a result, 18 pallets loaded with 48 boxes, with a total of 864 containers of sweetened condensed milk were seized to be destroyed.