March 30, 2012

Vietnam's northern region's animal feed contains no harmful additives

No harmful additives in animal feed in Vietnam's northern region have been detected by the Department of Livestock Husbandry of Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), state media reported.

The department has collected animal feed samples in 15 Northern provinces to check for infestation of harmful additives such as Salbutamol, Clenbutarol and Ractobamine which are banned in husbandry sector.

The move was taken after authorities in several localities, including in Dong Nai province, found that some farmers had used animal feed containing these substances to feed their pigs in order to have pig with higher ratio of lean meat. However, local consumers raised concern over the issue since these chemicals can cause harm to the infested meat eaters.

Many consumers nationwide have turned back to pork, making prices of live pigs to drop and cause economic losses to pig raising farmers.

The MARD has asked the Ministry of Public Security to help control banned agents in animal feed. It will also cooperate with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to investigate the harmful effected of the agents to human health.

Together with testing results, information about farms that used banned agents would be published publicly, said the MARD.