Miaoli County Government Press Release: 2021/08/24
Media Affairs Center: 037-559828
On August 22, the Council of Agriculture announced that pork products containing African Swine Fever smuggled from Vietnam were seized. From August 23, the Agricultural, Health, Environmental Protection, and Police Departments mobilized to inspect the meat products in Miaoli County, including 38 downstream suppliers that sell products from Southeast Asia, and 28 monitored pig farms that use food waste. Miaoli and Chunan Police Station each seized one unknown meat product which is suspected to have come from Vietnam. The police already confiscated the meat product which was then submitted for further inspection. The meat products with unknown origins will be taken for inspection and then sealed. Once the products are confirmed to have the African Swine virus, they will be destroyed according to the law. The inspection efforts continued the next day (August 24) and covered 112 places.
Miaoli County Government’s Health Department assigned 5 groups to inspect 5 Miaoli Police Station districts. On the first day, they inspected 38 downstream suppliers that sell pork products from Southeast Asia, and some of them were suspected to have come from Vietnam. In addition, one ham product found in Miaoli Police Station jurisdiction is suspected to have come from Vietnam. The ham product of unknown origin is owned by a migrant worker and has been submitted for further inspection. Moreover, Chunan Police Station seized one pork aspic-like product which was purchased from a Vietnam shop. The vendor also has a freezer in Houlong and stores 11 kinds of meat products, including frozen seafood and beef. The unknown meat products were also submitted for further inspection.
The Miaoli County Government Health Department stresses that if during this inspection of meat products for African Swine virus, the origin of seized meat products cannot be confirmed as legal, the products will be sent for inspection and sealed. If the African Swine virus is detected, the seized products will be destroyed together by Animal Shelter Division, Miaoli County Animal Protection, and the Health Inspection Office. Furthermore, the Miaoli County Government will keep tracing the origin and routes of smuggled products to ensure that the origin of the meat products is legal and safe.
The Miaoli County Government Agricultural Department, the Animal Shelter Division of Miaoli County Animal Protection, the Health Inspection Office, and the Environmental Protection Bureau of Miaoli County Government divided inspection staff into 5 groups to inspect 28 monitored pig farms in Miaoli County that use food waste. However, no violations have yet been found. These units will continue to supervise and urge pig farms to strictly implement anti-African swine virus measures. According to the Environmental Protection Bureau of Miaoli County Government, pig farmers must cook the food waste at 90°C for at least one hour to eliminate the African Swine virus. If the farms are found to violate this regulation, they will be punished severely according to the Feed Control and Waste Disposal Acts. The Environmental Protection Bureau asks farmers not to break the law and guard the pig industry against the African Swine virus.
Miaoli, Chunan, Toufen, Tongxiao, and Dahu police stations also dispatched their best police workforce to assist the inspections. They inspected 38 agencies in 9 townships on the first day. After a preliminary inspection, 36 meat products were established to have come from legal sources. On the other hand, Miaoli Police Station seized a ham product weighing about 200g, and Chunan Police Station seized pig aspic products of unknown origin; both products have been sent for inspection.