Viet Nam-Unsanitary practices at slaughterhouse

16:38' 29/05/2009 (GMT+7)

VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi's biggest abattoir is slaughtering its pigs out of doors and scattering the meat on the ground, a recent inspection has found. Ha Noi Animal Health Department officer said instead of transporting the meat in boxes, as regulated, the abattoir transported them uncovered. Sides of beef from the Thinh Liet Slaughtering House are being transported by open trucks and motorbikes and blood curds are being made on the premises, despite a nationwide ban on the procedure to help stem the spread of acute diarrhoea. The factory is also discharging its untreated waste into the Set River, causing serious pollution. Environment Police Department deputy head Nguyen Viet Tien said the breaches were found during a recent inspection of the Thinh Liet Slaughtering House which handles more than 1,000 pigs a day and provides half of the city's meat requirements. The sample of waste discharged into the Set River was taken to the Environment Observation Centre for testing, Tien said. Ha Noi Animal Health Department officer Phi Thanh Hai said instead of transporting the meat in boxes, as regulated, the abattoir transported them uncovered. A large number of motorbikes carrying uncovered beef were also caught, Hai said. The food safety and hygiene inspection, requested by the Ministry of Health, was undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Ha Noi Health Department head Le Anh Tuan said boosting inspections of food manufacturers and processors had already led to a dramatic decrease in cases of acute diarrhoea at hospitals. Acute diarrhoea has hit 700 people in 15 provinces in Viet Nam. Punishment for the abattoir and the relevant authorities would be decided in due course, said Tien. The Ha Noi People's Committee's plan is for all cattle and poultry to be slaughtered indoor under hygenic conditions. Authorities are worried about the super flu and acute diarrhoea epidemics running concurrently and are giving priority to food safety and hygiene inspections.