March 31, 2011

China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said the scandalous use of illegal slimming additive clenbuterol in pig feed in the central province of Henan was an isolated case, as the banned additive was present in only 134 of about 310,000 hogs tested.

The ministry played down the damage caused by the scandal to domestic pork production, consumption and the country's leading pork processor, the Henan Shineway Group, which said it lost more than RMB1 billion between March 15-25 as sales of its products were almost halted.

"The case was caused by the illegal production, sale and use of such additives by very few people who are fully aware that they are prohibited," it said in a statement Tuesday (Mar 29).

"Currently, China's pig products are generally safe and the illegal use of slimming additives is only an isolated case," the ministry said, adding that 99.4% of pigs sampled nationwide passed tests for the slimming additive in the first quarter this year.

The production and distribution channels of the illegal feed additive have been discovered, 53 public servants involved in the scandal have been investigated, and 12 of them were handed over to the police, the ministry said.

This year's overall production of live pigs is running normally and market supply is stable, it said, adding that pig prices are also expected to be stable in the first half of the year.

The Ministry of Agriculture said Monday that the government has launched a year-long, multi-ministry crackdown on illegal additives in pig feed.