Probe of problematic meat from Canada yields fake vet papers

An investigation following the suspension of problematic pork products imported from Canada found their official veterinary health certificates were fake, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The Chinese customs detected residue of ractopamine, a feed additive banned in China, while inspecting the batch recently. China immediately suspended pork product imports from related companies and requested Canada to investigate, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday.

The investigation found the official veterinary health certificates attached to the batch were counterfeit. There were a total of 188 forged certificates, Geng said.

"These forged certificates were sent to the Chinese regulatory authorities through Canada's official certificate notification channel, which shows there are obvious safety loopholes in Canada's regulation over meat export to China," Geng said.

The Chinese embassy in Canada said in a news release on Wednesday that China has taken urgent preventive measures and requested the Canadian government to suspend the issuance of certificates for meat exported to China since Tuesday. It said that the Canadian side believes that this incident is a criminal offense.

It is the Chinese government's duty to guarantee the safety of Chinese consumers and China's food safety, and the steps China has taken are lawful, Geng said.

"We hope Canada will attach great importance to the incident of forged certificates, complete the investigation as soon as possible, take effective measures to amend the situation and ensure the safety of food exports to China," he said.

(China Daily Global 06/27/2019 page5)