MOFCOM, MIIT, MOF, MEP, MOA, MOH, SAIC, AQSIQ and SDA held on February 10 jointly a teleconference, to implement the spirit of the fourth meeting of the Food Safety Commission of the State Council, and make arrangement for designation of qualified pig slaughtering house . Mr. Jiang Zengwei, Vice Minister of Commerce, Mr. Li Ganjie, Vice Minister of Environmental Protection, Mr. Yu Kangzhen, Chief Veterinarian of MOA, Madam Gan Lin, Vice Secretary of SAIC, Madam Liu Zhuohui, Chief Engineer of AQSIQ, Mr. Bian Zhenjia, Vice Secretary of SDA and responsible officials from MIIT, MOF, MOH, and Food Safety Commission Office of the State Council attended and addressed the conference. Mr. Fang Aiqing, Assistant Minister of Commerce presided over the conference.

Recently, the nine ministries mentioned-above co-issued “Notice on strengthening the designation and check-up qualified slaughtering house of pigs”, which provide that to launch the action from January to July, 2012. All the enterprises qualified as selected point of slaughtering were ensured to in accordance with the rules and regulations, such as Food Safety Law, and Pig Slaughtering Regulations, disease flesh was prevented to market and the safety and quality of meat was guaranteed by verifying and clearance, canceling the qualifications of some enterprises which were still not standard, not meet the setting or had serious violations, and resolutely preventing setting unqualified slaughtering plant as selected point.

Vice Minister Jiang pointed out that to do well the clearance of pig slaughtering was an important measure taken to ensure the quality of meat. Since the release of Pig Slaughtering Regulations, by verifying the enterprises, local authorities have cancelled 3497 enterprises, 3748 enterprises have been ordered to make rectification within a time limit, while 18150 other enterprises have been reserved, which are surely raise the level of enterprises’ concentration and management. However, generally speaking, it is common that the current situation of pig slaughtering enterprises is small and scattered, some of small-sized slaughtering enterprises cannot reach the standards of production facilities, personnel and equipment, inspection and quarantine, and environmental protection, and the illegal acts even happen in some selected point of pig slaughtering. In accordance with laws and regulations, the clearance aims at the auditing and verifying of all the selected points of pig slaughtering, as well as the illegal ones.

Vice Minister Jiang stressed that local authorities should formulate a clear plan, strictly in accordance with the verifying procedures from county (district) level, prefectural (city) level, to the provincial competent authority, and the conditions and standards from the laws and regulations. Small-sized slaughtering plant should be verified as well. In order to achieved the anticipated results, local authorities should strengthen the organizations, build and improve cooperative system within the departments, strictly implement the relevant laws and regulations and standards, and seriously organize and mobilize the clearance of slaughtering within the areas as well as raise the awareness.

Mr. Li Ganjie, Vice Minister of Environmental Protection, asked to strengthen cooperation with other ministries and requirement on environmental protection for qualified pig slaughtering enterprises. Mr. Yu Kangzhen, Chief Veterinarian of MOA, made arrangement for performing their regulatory duties and strengthening verification of animal epidemic prevention in designation of pig slaughtering houses. Madam Gan Lin, Vice Secretary of SAIC, put forward demands on strengthening pork market supervision and playing a good supporting role in the check-up qualified slaughtering houses of pigs. Madam Liu Zhuohui, Chief Engineer of AQSIQ, made arrangement for strengthening supervision and ensuring quality and safety of meat. Mr. Bian Zhenjia, Vice Secretary of SDA, also put forward demands on strengthening supervision and cooperations with other ministries and implementing food and catering services institutions to fulfill their responsibilities.

Responsible officials from provincial governments, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, cities separately listed in the national planning, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, MOFCOM, MIIT, MOF, MEP, MOA, MOH, SAIC, AQSIQ and SDA, and representatives from slaughtering enterprises attended the meeting at their own region.

(All information published on this website is authentic in Chinese. English is provided for reference only.)