VietNamNet Bridge – About 3,750 pigs at a slaughter house in HCM City tested positive for sedatives, said Pham Tien Dung, head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development inspectorate.

About 3,750 pigs at a slaughter house in HCM City tested positive for sedatives, said Pham Tien Dung, head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development inspectorate.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Dung said the solution being injected into pigs was found to contain a high concentration of Axeprocemin (a type of sedative) of between 0.47-0.51mg per litre.

Inspectors also took 140 urine samples from the pigs and samples of the bottled infusion for testing. 

The sedatives send the pigs to sleep and prevent them from urinating, helping reduce weight loss and thus making them more profitable, Dung said. The drug also lends the meat a healthier colour and eases animals’ pain, making them easier for traders to transport.

Consumption of pork with sedative residue can affect human kidneys and nervous system, he said.

Fines of between VND30-35 million (US$1,300-1,500) will be imposed on 13 traders for their violations.

On Thursday, a joint inspection team of environmental police and inspectors from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development raided the Xuyen A slaughter house in Cu Chi District following a tip-off.

Two merchants were caught red-handed injecting the pigs with a sedative solution right before having them slaughtered.

A number of empty bottles of sedatives and dozens of infusion bottles containing water mixed with the sedatives were seized.

According to Huynh Tan Phat, deputy head of HCM City’s Health Department Agency, about 5,000 pig are slaughtered every day at Xuyen A slaughter house, accounting for half the pig meat consumed in the city.

Phat said seven cases of sedative injections have been detected by the agency since the beginning of this year.

Phat said the agency was working with the joint inspection team to clarify the responsibilities of the veterinary officers at Xuyen A slaughter house, adding that due punishment would be imposed on the violators. 

VNS