February 8, 2007

Meat exports from Shenzhen to Hong Kong falls for the second year

Food safety incidents such as those related to porcine circovirus, bird flu, Sudan dye and Malachite Green has caused the second consecutive year of decline in seafood and meat exports from Shenzhen to Hong Kong.

Exports of seafood, frozen chicken and pork declined significantly last year compared to 2005. Exports of frozen chicken fell 41.5 percent while that for live poultry fell 26.1 percent. Seafood exports fell 23.6 percent while live hog exports went down 2.5 percent. Even though stricter customs checks were conducted in recent years, the series of food safety incidents has dented the confidence of Hong Kong's residents to meat and seafood from Mainland China.