December 27, 2007

China: Pork industry integration key to enhancing food safety

Upgrading existing slaughterhouses and supporting the development of pork integrators is the way to go towards ensuring better pork quality for consumers, according to an official from China's Ministry of Commerce in an interview on Tuesday (Dec 25).

The official said that experience has shown that in regions where pork is supplied by large-scale enterprises with comprehensive logistical network, pork safety is less of an issue.

Meanwhile, the official added that his ministry is presnetly working with other government departments such as the National Development and Reform Commission to reduce fees and charges at various stages of pork production for slaughterhouses. 

With this move, private and small-scale slaughterhouses that often operate in unhygienic conditions will be affected as integrators can provide the service at reduced cost.

Demand for pork, which is the staple meat in the Chinese diet, had been rising in recent years. Per capita pork consumption was 39.6 kg in 2006, an increase of 1.3 kg compared with 2005. On a monthly basis, each Chinese urban dweller consumes about 1.65 kg of meat each month.