May 11, 2012

Smithfield pork plant delisted by China

China has delisted one of Smithfield's plants after rejecting a container of pork, having detectable traces of ractopamine, a company spokesman confrimed.

"The company is working diligently to verify these findings with the Chinese authorities to resolve the issue as soon as possible, while shifting production to its other plants on an interim basis," said Smithfield spokeswoman, Keira Lombardo.

The company said that China continues to be an active buyer of pork and that demand remains solid.

According to Reuters, China's quarantine bureau announced it rejected US pork from Smithfield and others after tests found traces of a banned drug in meat shipments totalling 103.5 metric tonnes, but there was no immediate threat of broader retaliatory measures.