Vietnamese agencies announced they will strengthen control over animal bone powder imports, used as foodstuff for cattle, according to the Animal Health Department.
Between November 2006 and January 2007, the Veterinary Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) took 143 samples of bone powder from 51 imported consignments (9,301 tons) from Spain, Italy, Germany, the UK and France.
The ADN tests discovered 10 imported consignments as containing bull or sheep by-products sourced from countries with mad cow disease, which are subject to the import ban.
Pig bone powder and pig blood powder are imported to Vietnam to be used as foodstuff for cattle.
In general, it takes 7 days and VND3 million (US$187.5) to perform an ADN test to discover if powder imports contain by-products made from bulls or sheep. Enterprises have to bear the expense.
Import consignments found as containing prohibited by-products will be re-exported or destroyed on the spot.
Veterinary Department leaders said the companies importing the consignments of bone and meat powder were not guilty, as the exporters provided inaccurate information about the products.
Hoang Van Nam, Deputy Director of the department, said in the coming time to prevent such products being imported to Vietnam MARD would reinforce import controls by performing ADN tests on suspect consignments.
However, as Chairman of the Association for Foodstuff for Cattle Le Ba Lich pointed out, it would be very difficult to regularly carry out ADN tests, as there is only one laboratory authorized to test bone powder. It will cost enterprises additional fees for storage, which will put a heavier burden on the enterprises.
Lich said that several other laboratories in Vietnam can do this kind of test, and that they should be authorized to provide testing services. Two laboratories in the north and 2-3 in the south would be enough to satisfy the demand of enterprises, he said. (VietnamNet)
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