China halts meat imports from Canada
Print Edition
CHINA has asked Canada to suspend all meat exports after discovering false veterinary health certificates attached to a batch of pork. Canadian federal police said it had launched a criminal probe.
The allegations are against Frigo Royal Inc.
China’s embassy in Ottawa said a customs investigation — launched after the discovery of traces of a banned feed additive — revealed up to 188 false documents had been submitted to Chinese officials.
“In order to protect the safety of Chinese consumers, China has taken urgent preventive measures and requested the Canadian government to suspend the issuance of certificates for meat exported to China since June 25,” it said on its website on Tuesday.
“We hope the Canadian side would attach great importance to this incident, complete the investigation as soon as possible and take effective measures to ensure the safety of food exported to China in a more responsible manner,” it added.
A Canadian government official confirmed that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had been called in to investigate.
Meanwhile, according to Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has reached out to its Chinese counterpart for more information about the allegations.
In a statement, she said the CFIA “has identified a problem with false export certificates that could affect exports of pork and beef products to China.”
The agency, she added, “has taken steps to remedy the situation” while continuing to work with industry partners and Chinese authorities. China is Canada’s third-largest market for pork.
Bibeau noted the issue “does not affect export certificates to other countries.”
Xinhua news agency earlier this month said customs officials in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing had found that recent pork shipments from Frigo Royal contained ractopamine. The feed additive, which boosts the growth of animals, is widely used in the US but banned in the EU and China.
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