I moved to Trondheim, Norway at the end of January, 2011, to be with my fiance, get married and commence the next adventure in my life. This blog records my adventure.
First apropos of nothing, this is the coldest summer in Norway in decades. We could use some of the US's summer heat here just now. The high today is forecast to be 55 degrees! It is gray and dreary. We look forward to our summer trip to Chicago, SoCal and Oregon.
Moose Cervid before becoming sausage.
Last month, Tove and I bought a moose sausage to give to Patrick. It is cooked, cured and dried like salami or pepperoni. Days later I envisioned the Airport Beagle tethered to the uniformed officer at O'Hare going crazy over my luggage. "What's in the bag, sir?" "Why.....nothing.....ma'am......nothing at all......honest!" "Would you come with me sir?"
You know, of course, that those beagles are not there to sniff out drugs. They are trained to sniff out food contraband. Thus began my search for the rules regarding bringing in cooked, cured, dried, vacuum-wrapped moose sausage from Norway.
Keeping AmAg safe
Here is the 928-page USDA Animal Product Manual. On page 323 is TABLE 3-12-1 Where to Find Regulatory Action on Ruminant Meat and Meat Products (page 1 of 2). Did you know that a moose is a cervid? Of course you did. It's obviously not a caprine, ovine or camelid. So under table 3-12-1, if the cervid meat-product is cooked, shelf-stable meat (in hermetically sealed cans or flexible, retorted pouches) and it comes from a BSE-free country it can come in.
Angry Mad Cow. "Don't get me started!"
I had no clue what BSE was nor whether Norway was BSE-free. BSE is mad-cow disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy). On page 573 of the manual, regrettably, Norway is listed as a country that has had cattle infected with BSE. So, Patrick, you won't be getting any moose sausage this year unless you visit us in Norway. And if you do, pack your winter clothes. Finally: Crazy Norwegian Chocolate Cow:
