A worker with pigs at a livestock breeding centre in the central province of Phu Yen. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development has officially issued a circular to prohibit the use of
– a substance used in animal husbandry, Hoang Thanh Van, head
of the ministry’s Animal Husbandry Department said.
The circular will come into effect on March, 1, Van said, adding
that cysteamine would be added to the list of banned substances which includes
salbutamol and vat yellow – an imported substance that is used for dyeing cloth
or in the construction sector – in Vietnam.
“Violations relating to the trade and production of prohibited
substances will be fined severely under Government law,” he said.
“In the future, if individuals, organisations or companies are
found to be involved in the trade of cysteamine, they will be punished under
the provisions of Decree 119 on administrative penalties in the fields of
animal husbandry and feeds.”
The ministry has set up five laboratories that are qualified to
test for cysteamine, so animal husbandry companies or health inspectors
can take suspected samples for testing.
Nguyen Thu Thuy, deputy head of the Department
said the department was also banning the import of cysteamine.
At a meeting in late 2016, Hoang Thanh Van confirmed that
cysteamine is a new substance, and adding it to feed could improve the levels
of growth hormones, promote the growth performance of the animal and lead to
the creation of lean meat.
There was no study yet proving the effectiveness or harmful
effects of this product in breeding, Van said.
However, he added that the department’s inspectors had discovered
some animal husbandry farms were abusing this substance.
Following consultations with scientists, breeding experts and
management agencies, the ministry had officially proposed a circular on banning
the use of cysteamine in feed production, the head of the department said.
Vietnamese inspectors had found that some feed products imported
from Thailand contained cystaemine.
They also found antibiotics being misused at many animal feed
production plants and pig and poultry farms.
Last August, the ministry’s inspector team examined and discovered
an one-member limited liability company at Tran Quoc Hoan Street of HCM City’s
Tan Binh district that imported two animal feeding products, Maxsure and
Synergrown containing cystaemine from Thailand.
A large number of products were sold to animal feed dealers, feed
production plants and pig farms nation-wide.
Inspectors fined the company 180 million VND (8,000 USD) for
importing and trading substances that were not on the ministry’s licensed list.-VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
