AlaskaDenise
In Memoriam
Joanne Laucius, CanWest News Service
Published: Thursday, August 30, 2007
OTTAWA -- China, currently battling scandals over contaminated exports ranging from poisonous pet food to excess lead in toys, wants to export chicken that is raised, processed and cooked there into this country.
Canada does not allow imports of any poultry from China because of concerns about avian flu and Newcastle disease -- the first because it can affect humans, and the latter because it could infect Canada's chickens.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, however, has begun studying a Chinese request to re-examine the blanket ban.
Labourers work this month at an assembly-line chicken operation in Lianyungang, China.
Reuters, China Daily
Any changes would likely be limited to cooked and canned poultry clearly marked as a product of China, said Bill Anderson, the director of the agency's meat program.
The agency has completed a review of documents, and is inspecting Chinese slaughterhouses, processing plants and laboratories used to monitor antibiotic, pesticide and metal residues in the meat.
"We have had some initial visits. There are still some questions we need to answer," said Anderson. "If you look at any country that wants to export meat products to Canada, we start with a review of their regulations. We make sure they have a solid foundation for a meat inspection system."
The initial inspections would be followed up by periodic audits of production facilities.
There are no on-farm visits involved in the process, he added.
It will likely to be several months before the agency completes its review.
The news comes as consumers grow increasingly wary of products from China and Chinese officials are also looking to open a market for cooked chicken products in the U.S., which has sparked an outcry from groups ranging from elected officials to the United Poultry Growers Association.
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=432b4ff8-0555-48cf-a1c8-426eb8aaf263
Published: Thursday, August 30, 2007
OTTAWA -- China, currently battling scandals over contaminated exports ranging from poisonous pet food to excess lead in toys, wants to export chicken that is raised, processed and cooked there into this country.
Canada does not allow imports of any poultry from China because of concerns about avian flu and Newcastle disease -- the first because it can affect humans, and the latter because it could infect Canada's chickens.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, however, has begun studying a Chinese request to re-examine the blanket ban.
Labourers work this month at an assembly-line chicken operation in Lianyungang, China.
Reuters, China Daily
Any changes would likely be limited to cooked and canned poultry clearly marked as a product of China, said Bill Anderson, the director of the agency's meat program.
The agency has completed a review of documents, and is inspecting Chinese slaughterhouses, processing plants and laboratories used to monitor antibiotic, pesticide and metal residues in the meat.
"We have had some initial visits. There are still some questions we need to answer," said Anderson. "If you look at any country that wants to export meat products to Canada, we start with a review of their regulations. We make sure they have a solid foundation for a meat inspection system."
The initial inspections would be followed up by periodic audits of production facilities.
There are no on-farm visits involved in the process, he added.
It will likely to be several months before the agency completes its review.
The news comes as consumers grow increasingly wary of products from China and Chinese officials are also looking to open a market for cooked chicken products in the U.S., which has sparked an outcry from groups ranging from elected officials to the United Poultry Growers Association.
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=432b4ff8-0555-48cf-a1c8-426eb8aaf263