ĐỒNG NAI(VNS) – More than 400 households in the southeast region of Việt Nam yesterday signed a commitment not to use banned chemical substances such as lean-meat agents that have harmful side-effects.

They also pledged to use piglets with clear origins and utilise safe animal feed and water in breeding. If diseased livestock were detected, they would inform the relevant agency and not put the infected animals on sale in the market.

The signing took place at a workshop held by the Department of Livestock Production (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) and the Animal Husbandry Association of Việt Nam in southern Đồng Nai Province with the participation of over 400 farm breeders from southeast provinces and experts on animal husbandry.

Speaking at the workshop, Nguyễn Văn Trọng, depty head of the Department of Livestock Product, said the use of banned substances in animal husbandry has worried consumers and it threatened the health of the whole community.

Despite efforts made by state management agencies over the past few years, banned chemical substances are still being used by some, and this affects the business of honest breeders, he said.

The use of banned substances in animal husbandry would face harsher punishment once the new criminal code took effect on July 1, he said.

The close coordination of state agencies, farm owners and breeding households was vital to minimise the use of banned substances, Trọng said, adding that supervision of society was still also necessary.

A lot of measures for effective and safe breeding were also discussed at the conference.

Participants agreed that application of the Vietnamese Good Animal Husbandry Practices should be expanded. This can help the animal husbandry sector manage food safety from breeding, through slaughter to processing. The practices would help control the use of banned substances and antibiotics.

The use of lean-meat agents was banned in Việt Nam in 2002. They include salbutamol, clenbuterol and ractopamine that stimulate growth and quickly develop lean meat in cattle. It may lead to an increase in heart disease and cancer in humans. – VNS