Pork sold at Hoc Mon wholesale market (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – FromJuly 31, only pork with traceable origins is ostensibly allowed to enter Ho ChiMinh City’s two wholesale markets, but inspections by authorities found thatonly around 13 percent of the pork in the markets actually had clear origins,according to the municipal Department of Industry and Trade.
[HCM City to use high-tech method to trace pork origins]
The department in collaboration with otheragencies and the managements of Hoc Mon and Binh Dien markets checkedthe pork that was entering them.
Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, deputy director of thedepartment, said on July 30 night and July 31 morning, for instance, some 8,400pig carcasses were brought in, but only 1,205 had traceable origins.
He said that 35 percent had information enteredin their rings by farmers, but the rate falls to 21 percent when theyleave slaughterhouses following lapses by veterinary staff, and fallsfurther to 13 percent when they reach the two wholesale markets.
The city’s programme to trace the origin of porkinvolves four locations – farms, abattoirs, wholesale distributors, andretailers.
It has a connected information system, and ifany part of the chain does not record information, consumers cannot check theorigin of the meat, Hoa explained.
Around 85 percent of the pork consumed in thecity market is supplied from other cities and provinces, and the city is theonly locality in the country to have such a programme.
So the city can only request authorities inother provinces to help in this regard, he said.
To improve the situation, relevant city agenciesshould co-operate with their counterparts in other provinces to persuade pigfarmers to record information about pigs and instruct abattoirs and traders toaccept only pigs with clear origins, he said.
The department has called on the city governmentto take a tougher line with violators.
Hoa said pork sold through modern trade channels is properlyregulated. Thus, if the portion sold through traditional retail channels -which get their pork from the two wholesale markets - is also tightlycontrolled, all the pork sold in the city would have traceable origins, hesaid.-VNA
The department in collaboration with otheragencies and the managements of Hoc Mon and Binh Dien markets checkedthe pork that was entering them.
Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, deputy director of thedepartment, said on July 30 night and July 31 morning, for instance, some 8,400pig carcasses were brought in, but only 1,205 had traceable origins.
He said that 35 percent had information enteredin their rings by farmers, but the rate falls to 21 percent when theyleave slaughterhouses following lapses by veterinary staff, and fallsfurther to 13 percent when they reach the two wholesale markets.
The city’s programme to trace the origin of porkinvolves four locations – farms, abattoirs, wholesale distributors, andretailers.
It has a connected information system, and ifany part of the chain does not record information, consumers cannot check theorigin of the meat, Hoa explained.
Around 85 percent of the pork consumed in thecity market is supplied from other cities and provinces, and the city is theonly locality in the country to have such a programme.
So the city can only request authorities inother provinces to help in this regard, he said.
To improve the situation, relevant city agenciesshould co-operate with their counterparts in other provinces to persuade pigfarmers to record information about pigs and instruct abattoirs and traders toaccept only pigs with clear origins, he said.
The department has called on the city governmentto take a tougher line with violators.
Hoa said pork sold through modern trade channels is properlyregulated. Thus, if the portion sold through traditional retail channels -which get their pork from the two wholesale markets - is also tightlycontrolled, all the pork sold in the city would have traceable origins, hesaid.-VNA
VNA
