Vietnam may be haven of world's "dirty" meat imports

Local authorities fear that Vietnam may become the country that will mostly consume the world's low quality frozen meats.

 

 

The frozen imports range from buffalo meat, beef, pork, animal offals and chicken legs. Government inspectors have found that the frozen meat imports expired with no clear origin and labels.

 

Many have been found to be contaminated, infected with higher-than-allowed levels of impurities.

 

The relaxed import restrictions in Vietnam have increased frozen meat imports to 119,130 tonnes so far this year, compared with 44,178 tonnes in 2007, said Nguyen Thanh Son, deputy head of the Livestock Husbandry Department under the MARD.

 

Vietnam must set strict regulations to limit frozen imports in order to protect both local husbandry and consumers' health, Son stressed.

 

The ministry is cooperating with the Ministry of Health to develop tighter regulations on frozen meat imports.