Frozen pork haul prompts swine fever concern

Frozen pork haul prompts swine fever concern

Swine fever concern. (Bangkok Post file photo)
Swine fever concern. (Bangkok Post file photo)

The seizure of 558 frozen pigs in Bangkok's On Nut area has sparked fears of an African Swine Fever outbreak as the meat is believed to have been smuggled in from neighbouring countries.

The owner of the pork, whose name was not released, could not tell officials where the pigs had been raised but admitted he planned to sell the pork to "four famous restaurants in Bangkok with mu han [roasted suckling pigs] on their menus," Sorawit Thaneto, chief of the Livestock Development Department, said.

Police and livestock officials on Saturday raided the owner's three-storey house in On Nut Soi 35 where they found 1,400 kilogrammes of pork kept in two refrigerated rooms.

The man was arrested for failing to present documents indicating the source of the pigs and proof the meat had been inspected by officials. "His act posed a risk as the carcasses may contain diseases. It's unsafe to consumers," Mr Sorawit said.

His department is also working with other agencies to stay alert for any local outbreak of African Swine Fever, or ASF, which has spread from Europe and Africa to three Asian countries -- China, Mongolia and Vietnam.

There has been no sign of the disease here, but the government decided to launch precautionary measures worth 148 million baht to protect pork businesses in the country.

Thai travellers to neighbouring countries are also warned against bringing processed pork like naem (fermented pork) and kun chiang (Chinese sausages) back home.

The latest outbreak has caused China and Vietnam to cull several million pigs.

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