Wednesday, May 31, 2017

China threatens to ban Canadian pork

Chinese authorities say they found ractopamine (Paylean) residues in some pork from Olymel, and say it might cost Canada its accreditation to export to China.

Olymel and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are investigating to determine how the banned growth promotant might have got into the pork shipment.

One of the possibilities is a farmer who cheated by importing Paylean from the United States.

The shipment came from Olymel’s plant at Vallee Jonction, a hog slaughter and cutting plant that employs about 1,500 people.

Olymel spokesman Richard Vigneau said hog farmers that market to Olymel are supposed to adhere to a strict protocol.

If they find a farmer who cheated,  I think they ought to ban him for life from owning any pigs or working in any part of the pork-industry food chain.


Reuters news agency said China views the finding of ractopamine residue in the shipment of pig feet as a “systemic failure” of Canada’s certification program that “could affect future pork exports.”