Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
United Evening News / Reporter Peng Xuan-Ya / Taipei Report
March 21, 2012, 4:53 PM
Reports indicate that pig and chicken feed contains heavy metal copper sulfate, raising concerns that the public may have consumed toxic poultry and pork. The Council of Agriculture (COA) stated that after receiving public reports last year, it collaborated with prosecutors to investigate. The COA discovered that upstream company Chang Hsin Industrial sold copper sulfate to six industrial factories, one of which then sold industrial-grade copper sulfate to four feed manufacturers. The COA has since seized a total of 1,400 kg of copper sulfate from both upstream and downstream sources. The case has been handed over to prosecutors, and the COA is expected to release the list of violators by 4:30 PM today.
Hsu Kuei-sen, Director of the COA’s Department of Animal Industry, explained that copper sulfate is a necessary additive in feed, with normal feed requiring 25 to 50 ppm of feed-grade copper sulfate per kilogram to promote hair growth and blood production in pigs and chickens.
However, on December 1 last year, the COA received a tip-off and found that six industrial factories—including Jia Yong, Wei He, Fu Chuang, Da Ma Chang Shan, Xin Yi, and Quan Xing—had purchased industrial-grade copper sulfate from Chang Hsin Resource Recycling. One of these factories, lacking a feed manufacturing registration, illegally sold the copper sulfate to four downstream feed manufacturers, leading to misuse by livestock farmers and causing public alarm.
Tests revealed that the feed contained lead levels as high as 100 ppm.
Hsu noted that industrial factories can refine industrial-grade copper sulfate into feed-grade copper sulfate, but those without feed manufacturing licenses are prohibited from selling it to feed producers. During a joint investigation with prosecutors on December 6, the COA confiscated 800 kg of copper sulfate from one violator and 600 kg from downstream feed factories. Further inspection of the four feed manufacturers uncovered one whose feed contained lead levels reaching 100 ppm. The COA initially fined the feed manufacturer NT$18,000 under the Feed Management Act.
The factory that illegally sold industrial-grade copper sulfate to feed manufacturers without a registration faces up to six months in prison under the Feed Management Act. Hsu stated that the case was referred to the district prosecutor’s office by the Taipei City Government on December 26 last year.
COA Minister Chen Bao-ji also pledged during a hearing at the Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee this morning that the list of violators would be released this afternoon to reassure livestock farmers and the public.
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ NATIONAL/ NATS6/ 6976361. shtml#ixzz1pkwLpM7E
Toxic Feed Distribution: COA Lists Violators
March 21, 2012, 4:53 PM
Reports indicate that pig and chicken feed contains heavy metal copper sulfate, raising concerns that the public may have consumed toxic poultry and pork. The Council of Agriculture (COA) stated that after receiving public reports last year, it collaborated with prosecutors to investigate. The COA discovered that upstream company Chang Hsin Industrial sold copper sulfate to six industrial factories, one of which then sold industrial-grade copper sulfate to four feed manufacturers. The COA has since seized a total of 1,400 kg of copper sulfate from both upstream and downstream sources. The case has been handed over to prosecutors, and the COA is expected to release the list of violators by 4:30 PM today.
Hsu Kuei-sen, Director of the COA’s Department of Animal Industry, explained that copper sulfate is a necessary additive in feed, with normal feed requiring 25 to 50 ppm of feed-grade copper sulfate per kilogram to promote hair growth and blood production in pigs and chickens.
However, on December 1 last year, the COA received a tip-off and found that six industrial factories—including Jia Yong, Wei He, Fu Chuang, Da Ma Chang Shan, Xin Yi, and Quan Xing—had purchased industrial-grade copper sulfate from Chang Hsin Resource Recycling. One of these factories, lacking a feed manufacturing registration, illegally sold the copper sulfate to four downstream feed manufacturers, leading to misuse by livestock farmers and causing public alarm.
Tests revealed that the feed contained lead levels as high as 100 ppm.
Hsu noted that industrial factories can refine industrial-grade copper sulfate into feed-grade copper sulfate, but those without feed manufacturing licenses are prohibited from selling it to feed producers. During a joint investigation with prosecutors on December 6, the COA confiscated 800 kg of copper sulfate from one violator and 600 kg from downstream feed factories. Further inspection of the four feed manufacturers uncovered one whose feed contained lead levels reaching 100 ppm. The COA initially fined the feed manufacturer NT$18,000 under the Feed Management Act.
The factory that illegally sold industrial-grade copper sulfate to feed manufacturers without a registration faces up to six months in prison under the Feed Management Act. Hsu stated that the case was referred to the district prosecutor’s office by the Taipei City Government on December 26 last year.
COA Minister Chen Bao-ji also pledged during a hearing at the Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee this morning that the list of violators would be released this afternoon to reassure livestock farmers and the public.
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ NATIONAL/ NATS6/ 6976361. shtml#ixzz1pkwLpM7E