VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi plans to build eight large-scale abattoirs to meet the demands of consumers by 2015, the municipal People's Committee said.

The move aimed to introduce modern technology and reduce the number of sub-standard abattoirs.

The new slaughterhouses would have a combined total daily capacity of 34 tonnes of beef, 245 tonnes of pork and 78 tonnes of poultry, which would meet 50-70 per cent of the capital's demand.

In 2016, the city targeted to build two more slaughterhouses with a combined capacity of 70 tonnes of pork and 66 tonnes of poultry per day.

The municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that of six industrial abattoirs in the city, some had halted operations or were working well below capacity because their trade had been poached by sub-standard slaughterhouses.

There were 3,000 slaughterhouses operating in residential areas in the capital, up to 2,540 of which fell well below expected quality levels.

In Tri Thuy Commune in Phu Xuyen District, most of the private slaughterhouses discharged untreated waste into the public drainage system, causing serious pollution.

Do Van Sung, resident in Bai Do Village, Tri Thuy Commune, said to Dat Viet newspaper that the smell of animal waste was overpowering during the night when the slaughterhouses were operating.

Even animal bones were thrown into the drainage system, he said.

Pham Chuc, head of Bai Do Village, said the slaughterhouses discharged thousands of litres of untreated waste water into the environment every night, blocking drains and stagnating, causing a horrible smell for the village.

Chuc said authorised agencies had tested wells in the village after complaints from locals and found that they was contaminated and not fit for use.

The commune People's Committee said the city had approved a 5ha slaughterhouse with a proper waste treatment system for the village. But in the meantime, residents would have to suffer the pollution and the smell.

Tet food inspections

Nguyen Thanh Phong, deputy director of the Ministry of Health's Food Hygiene and Safety Department said the ministry would establish 10 inspection teams to check food supplied for Tet Festival in key cities and provinces.

The teams would focus on businesses processing jams, sweets, pork pies and raw meat, to be sure their origins and labeling met ministry regulations.

In Ha Noi alone, six inspection teams had been set up to check businesses at markets and supermarkets that produced or imported alcohol, other beverages, packaged food, dried fruit, sweets and many snacks until the end of March.

Phong said the inspectors would apply fines that were three times higher than previous levels and took effect last Tuesday under Government Decree 91.

For example, he said, violations which previously resulted in fines of VND50,000-100,000 ($2.30-4.70) would now have to pay VND3-5 million ($144-240). The maximum fine was VND100 million ($4,800), 2.5 times higher.

The value of the fine could be up to seven times the value of the food.

Phong said inspectors would take particular interest in street food vendors who opened just for Tet.

In terms of smuggled chicken, Phong said the ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Trade and Industry had collaborated to prevent chicken smuggling at borders and would assure there was adequate supply for domestic consumption.

The Ministry of Health would continue taking samples of chicken sold at markets to assure the safe meat for consumers, he said.

Source: VNS