July 26, 2011

Shineway Group, China's largest meat processor, said Monday (Jul 25) that its production and sales, which had been mired in the clenbuterol scandal since March, had returned to normal.

The Henan-based company was among the hardest hit after China Central Television reported that pork products from some pork processors, including Jiyuan Shineway, a subsidiary of Shineway, were tainted with the fat-burning drug clenbuterol, a banned additive in China which is poisonous to humans.

Despite sharp losses, the company remained optimistic about its long-term development, said Wan Long, chairman of Shineway's board of directors. As of June, the company had resumed 80% of its production and its sales had bounced back to pre-scandal levels, said Wan.

Shineway Group said it would clean up nearly 3,800 tonnes of meat, including factory stocks and those returned from the market following the scandal, in a bid to ease consumer concern.