Meat from sick animals sold in China

The warning comes as the country is fighting to overcome intense international criticism for exporting unsafe products, from tainted pet food to popular children’s toys made with lead paint.


Discoveries
“Recently, the illegal selling of pork from pigs which died of disease was discovered in some parts of the country,” according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.


Inspections must be carried out to ensure that pork from sick animals is not sold to consumers, it said.


The agency did not give specific examples, but reports of people becoming sick after eating tainted or poisoned food are almost daily occurrences in China.


Prices
Pork prices have jumped by more than 40% over the past year, partly due to a shortage caused by the spread of PRRS.


China’s government says the ailment has killed at least 18,000 pigs and Premier Wen Jiabao appeared on national television in May to assure the public the government is tackling the problem. But many farmers have stopped raising pigs for fear they might be stricken by the disease, authorities say.


Related website:
• The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (in Chinese)


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