Government and Policy

Tighter supervision over animal products

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-04-10 19:34

BEIJING - China vows to intensify supervision on quality and safety of animal products in the wake of pork contamination scandal, said Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on Sunday.

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Vice Agricultural Minister Gao Hongbin said that it is imperative to crack down on illegal food additives such as clenbuterol and enhance quality supervision during the process of slaughter, sale, transport and stock in major pig-breeding areas, according to a statement on MOA website.

Gao called on local pig-raisers to promote mass breeding in the industry's standardized drive as part of efforts to transform the development mode of animal breeding.

He also noted that local authorities should take precautions against imported animal diseases.

Clenbuterol is fed to pigs to stop them from accumulating fat. It is banned as pig feed in China because it is poisonous to humans.

Shuanghui Group's subsidiary in Jiyuan City, Henan Province, was exposed to public that it had used pork tainted with the fat-burning drug clenbuterol in its products on March 15.