April 16, 2012
Vietnam finds banned additives in animal feed material imports
Local importers of Gold Protein Peptide (SSI), which was found to contain banned additives in animal husbandry, has been accused of cheating by Vietnam''s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
In 2005, Hoa Nam Animal Feed Production, Trade Co. registered to import SSI as a material for animal feed processing. The registered SSI contains no banned additives and has been listed on importable list by the ministry in 2006.
However, Vietnamese police last week seized 1.4 tonnes of imported SSI in a warehouse of Ho Chi Minh City-based Hong Trien Co. and the investigation found that the company imported three tonnes of SSI from China in February.
According to the results of tests by the HCMC Testing and Analysis Service Center, the SSI contains two substances, clenbuterol and salbutamol, which belong to the group of beta-agonists that stimulate growth and quickly develop lean meat in cattle.
Both the two additives are harmful for human health and have been banned in animal husbandry.
Hong Trien Co. has imported the product that is not the same with the registered one for import by Hoa Nam Co., the ministry said.
It is a cheating, said Nguyen Minh Nhan, office head of the ministry.
Currently local police is investigating the case, especially how the banned additives to be being added in SSI.
The MARD has built a plan to inspect product quality in animal feed processors.