May 1, 2006

Hong Kong's plan to resume frozen pork imports draw criticism

Opposition lawmakers Friday (Apr 29) opposed a plan that would have resumed frozen pork imports from mainland China. 

Lawmakers Tam Yiu- chung and Wong Yung-kan from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong criticised the announcement as it was unsafe. 

Frozen pork from the mainland cost only about 30 percent the price of fresh pork and the move could be exploited by unscrupulous dealers since current inspection of meat at the retail level is weak, Tam said.

A trader could buy cheap frozen pork, defrost it and mix it with fresh pork to sell at wet markets, he added.

Wong said the move threatens public health as many of the farms in the mainland are not properly managed and the quality of pork from those farms are questionable.

Tam said the government should impose further regulations on the import of frozen pork by amending current legislation.

During end-June last year, the outbreak of hog coccus disease in Sichuan province resulted in the deaths of 647 head of live hogs and infected 34 farm personnel.