Animal health supervision officers of Beijing confiscated 60
cartons of beef imported from Canada over fears of mad cow
disease.
During a recent inspection tour of a warehouse at Yuquanying
near the southern third ring road, workers from the Beijing Animal
Health Supervision Institute found a wholesale businessman,
identified by his surname as Ma, stored 60 cartons of beef imported
from Canada.
The cartons of beef, weighing more than 2,000 kg and marked with
the label "produced in 2005 and 2006," have a market value of
200,000 yuan (about US$25,000), the Beijing Times reported.
Due to an outbreak of mad cow disease, the Chinese Ministry of
Agriculture and the State Administration of Quality Supervision and
Quarantine has banned direct or indirect import of beef from Canada
since May 22, 2003.
Because Ma violated both this decree and the relevant
stipulations in Animal Epidemic Prevention Law of China, the beef
must be confiscated and destroyed, said the supervision officers.
Animal health supervision officers also seized beef imported from
Brazil in a separate investigation tour made on Dec. 15, 2006 to
the same warehouse.
The animal health supervision officers pledged to tighten their
investigations in the future and make sure that all processed
animal products in the city are safe to consume.
(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2007)