Local authorities are tightening control of livestock and poultry transport to limit the illegal entry of unhygienic meat into the city.

In November, 25 violations occurred in Thu Duc District, while in Binh Chanh, 366 kilo of pork and another 1,000 kilo of pig organs were destroyed for not having an official hygiene certificate.

“We have tried hard but are not fully sure about the situation, as the city’s veterinary department isn’t able to check all trucks,” Pham Xuan Thao, head of the department, said.

Over the last year, livestock and poultry shipments from central provinces have flooded the city while the number of imported products has fallen.

Most food products, because of a lack of preservation, are not fresh and become spoiled after delivery in the city.

These unhygienic food products are provided in restaurants in HCM City as well as Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces after they are treated with chemicals at a price half or one-third less than good products.

Along with increased control, local authorities are strengthening education for customers’s awareness about hygienic food.

“Some slaughterhouses in the northern and central regions have contacted us, wanting to know how to transport food hygienically,” Thao said./.