Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=atw6o67mV.sI&refer=home
China's Illicit Farm Practices Threat to Health, Top Vet Says
By William Bi
June 27 (Bloomberg) -- China's food safety is threatened by illicit practices by some farmers in the livestock and fishery industries, putting the health of millions at risk, said the chief veterinarian at the country's Ministry of Agriculture.
Some farmers still use banned growth-enhancing drugs, food coloring and other chemicals, which continue to harm consumers, while feed additives with high concentrations of metal pollute water and crops, Jia Youling said at a conference in Qingdao.
Food safety is a government priority after tainted products harmed consumers around the world as China prepares to host the Beijing Olympic Games. Pet food, toothpaste, seafood and frozen dumplings have been recalled in the U.S., Japan and the EU after toxic chemicals were found in ingredients and raw materials.
``Cases of illegal drug use still exist, potentially contaminating animal products and endangering public health,'' Jia said. A significant number of farmers use additives with heavy metals, which accumulate in animal feces and ``pose a serious risk of polluting soil and crops,'' he said.
Rising incomes and better diets have fueled growth in meat, dairy and seafood production. Rapid expansion, intense competition and cases of inadequate quality control have increased the risk to food safety.
Still, livestock in China is mainly reared by small, low- tech farms, with only ``crude facilities to manage waste and pollution,'' Jia said. The farms are unsanitary and also don't adequately immunize the animals, which are susceptible to diseases such as the Blue Ear epidemic, seen over the past two years, he said.
`Disaster Area'
China is a ``disaster area'' for diseases that cross between humans and animals, with 60 million people in 12 provinces at the risk of the parasitic disease Schistosomiasis, Jia said.
In 2005, an outbreak of Streptococcus suis in Sichuan province, the largest pork producer, caused nationwide aversion to pork, Jia said. The disease, which can cause meningitis, killed 38 people, according to the World Health Organization. Bird flu in 2004-05 led to 95 billion yuan ($13.8 billion) in damages, he said.
China has suffered 20 human fatalities from bird flu out of 30 confirmed cases, according to the WHO. The Hong Kong government banned live chicken imports from mainland China for three weeks from June 11 after the H5N1 avian influenza virus was discovered in four markets.
Transmission of diseases among fish and livestock also poses serious risks, with storms and flooding sparking outbreaks. Snowstorms in February ``devastated'' some of the freshwater fish farms in southern China, Jia said.
Fish farmers may have been forced to use banned drugs, including the carcinogenic malachite green, because there are no other safe and effective drugs against some diseases, he said.
To contact the reporter on this story: William Bi in Qingdao at wbi@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: June 27, 2008 04:16 EDT
Email this article Pri
China's Illicit Farm Practices Threat to Health, Top Vet Says
By William Bi
June 27 (Bloomberg) -- China's food safety is threatened by illicit practices by some farmers in the livestock and fishery industries, putting the health of millions at risk, said the chief veterinarian at the country's Ministry of Agriculture.
Some farmers still use banned growth-enhancing drugs, food coloring and other chemicals, which continue to harm consumers, while feed additives with high concentrations of metal pollute water and crops, Jia Youling said at a conference in Qingdao.
Food safety is a government priority after tainted products harmed consumers around the world as China prepares to host the Beijing Olympic Games. Pet food, toothpaste, seafood and frozen dumplings have been recalled in the U.S., Japan and the EU after toxic chemicals were found in ingredients and raw materials.
``Cases of illegal drug use still exist, potentially contaminating animal products and endangering public health,'' Jia said. A significant number of farmers use additives with heavy metals, which accumulate in animal feces and ``pose a serious risk of polluting soil and crops,'' he said.
Rising incomes and better diets have fueled growth in meat, dairy and seafood production. Rapid expansion, intense competition and cases of inadequate quality control have increased the risk to food safety.
Still, livestock in China is mainly reared by small, low- tech farms, with only ``crude facilities to manage waste and pollution,'' Jia said. The farms are unsanitary and also don't adequately immunize the animals, which are susceptible to diseases such as the Blue Ear epidemic, seen over the past two years, he said.
`Disaster Area'
China is a ``disaster area'' for diseases that cross between humans and animals, with 60 million people in 12 provinces at the risk of the parasitic disease Schistosomiasis, Jia said.
In 2005, an outbreak of Streptococcus suis in Sichuan province, the largest pork producer, caused nationwide aversion to pork, Jia said. The disease, which can cause meningitis, killed 38 people, according to the World Health Organization. Bird flu in 2004-05 led to 95 billion yuan ($13.8 billion) in damages, he said.
China has suffered 20 human fatalities from bird flu out of 30 confirmed cases, according to the WHO. The Hong Kong government banned live chicken imports from mainland China for three weeks from June 11 after the H5N1 avian influenza virus was discovered in four markets.
Transmission of diseases among fish and livestock also poses serious risks, with storms and flooding sparking outbreaks. Snowstorms in February ``devastated'' some of the freshwater fish farms in southern China, Jia said.
Fish farmers may have been forced to use banned drugs, including the carcinogenic malachite green, because there are no other safe and effective drugs against some diseases, he said.
To contact the reporter on this story: William Bi in Qingdao at wbi@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: June 27, 2008 04:16 EDT
Email this article Pri