IRELAND-23 TONS OF PORK RETURN TO SENDER.
Authorities in China who have seized more than 23 tonnes of frozen Irish pork found to be contaminated with dioxin and have ordered its return to Ireland, the State media agency, Xinhua..
Irish pork has been banned from China since the recall of the product on December 6th last, and the weekend report highlights the difficulties involved in the recall since the dioxin scare began.
The pork was imported by a company in the city of Suzhou in October, the official Xinhua news agency said, adding that inspectors sealed the pork and ordered the company to send it back.
The Irish Food Board confirmed it had met the Chinese Health Authorities in Beijing on January 16th to brief them on the recall and they appeared satisfied with the arrangement. The assumption had to be that the pork was part of the consignments which were covered by the recall.
On Thursday last a Dáil committee investigating the dioxin scare was told significant quantities of pigmeat were still being held abroad, and ability to deal with the problem would determine future trade in these markets.
Cormac Healy, director of the Irish Association of Pigmeat Processors, said China, South Africa and South Korea were still refusing to take Irish pork.
The maintenance of our reputation in the marketplace and our ability to retain important customers for Irish pigmeat is equally dependent on how the entire recall process is handled, he told the Joint Oireachtas Agriculture Committee.
Paul Kelly, director of Food and Drink Industry Ireland, said seven weeks on from the initial recall there was still significant confusion in export markets about procedures for verification and disposal of product.
