WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said Wednesday that it had amended its rules to establish a voluntary trichinae certification program for U.S. pork.

The agency said that Trichinella is in the United States and that APHIS’s program is meant to enhance the ability of producers to export pork and pork products overseas. The European Union and other foreign markets require Trichinella testing for all imports of fresh pork and fresh pork products.