BANGKOK, July 10 (TNA) — The director-general of the Livestock Development Department has ordered strict control on meat imports to screen out animal epidemics.
Sorawit Thanito, the director-general, said he ordered his inspectors and quarantine officials nationwide to block the smuggling of meat and carcasses by land, sea and air.
“Inspectors and officials at all quarantine facilities are implementing the measure seriously and thus there is little chance for animal epidemics to enter Thailand. This also improves food safety standard and creates confidence among consumers,” he said.
All livestock imports for sales must be certified for food safety and disease-free condition by laboratories or livestock product manufacturers, he said.
Many countries are allowed to export livestock products to Thailand. They include Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain, the United States and Argentina. About 20 other countries wanted to export their livestock products to Thailand because they considered the country as the gateway of Southeast Asia, Mr Sorawit said.
They wanted to export beef, pork, chicken, salt-cured meat, Parma ham and salami to Thailand, he said. (TNA)
