VietNamNet Bridge – The veterinary authority of HCMC has sounded the alarm over the rampant use of forbidden growth stimulants by farm owners to make pigs grow fast and lean to earn higher profit regardless of their side effects on consumers’ health.

Illustrative image -- File photo

After its inspections at eight pig slaughterhouses in the city since the middle of this year, the agency has revealed startling facts about the meat that people eat in their daily meals. It said 31 out of 222 urine samples of pigs tested positive for banned substances including beta-agonist medicine, and pigs in Dong Nai Province were found to contain more substances harmful to consumers than other provinces. In addition to Dong Nai, the pigs are transported to the city from Tien Giang, Long An, Ben Tre, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces.

Khuong Tran Phuc Nguyen, head of the veterinary inspection division under the HCMC Veterinary Department, was quoted by Tuoi Tre newspaper as saying that inspections had revealed higher residues of prohibited substances in products of pigs farmed in more localities as the banned substance residue levels in the domestic animal averaged 227 parts per billion (ppb) but has soared to an alarming level of 526 ppb this year. The residue level in pigs in Dong Nai is up to 1,391 ppb, followed by Long An with 969 ppb and Tien Giang with 547 ppb.   

Despite more inspections, it is still easy to buy banned substances for boosting pig weight in Dong Nai and other localities as reported by local media in recent days. The main reason is that violators have not been punished heavily and total administrative fines of a slight VND87 million suggested for seven violators in HCMC are a case in point.

Pham Minh Dao, director of the Dong Nai Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, has proposed criminal charges for violators as a bold measure to crack down on the rampant sale and use of such lean pork making substances harmful to consumers. Meanwhile, experts have suggested agencies publicize the names of those farms found to feed their pigs with banned substances to supply pig wholesalers and consumers to boycott their products.

In Vietnam, many people eat pork dishes every day, so their health is being threatened by the harmful products of pigs produced by those caring about profit more than human health unless authorities take tough punitive measures against them.    

SGT