Products Destroyed or Returned; "No Domestic Distribution"
Import Suspension and Enhanced Inspections for Affected and Nearby Facilities
On November 2, avian influenza (AI) genetic material was detected in duck ham imported from China, prompting the government to strengthen quarantine measures for heat-processed poultry products from China. The detected material was genetic material, not a live AI virus, so it cannot cause infection by itself. The affected products were not distributed domestically.
The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency announced on November 14 that AI genetic material was detected during the quarantine inspection of the duck ham (21.8 tons), and that the products were either destroyed or returned.
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The duck ham in which AI genetic material was detected was produced at a facility located in the same industrial complex in Inner Mongolia, China, near another facility where imports were suspended on August 19 this year due to the detection of AI genetic material.
Taking into account the possibility of contamination at the regional level, the Quarantine Agency suspended imports not only from the facility where AI was detected but also from all facilities within the same industrial complex to prevent entry into the country. There are a total of three facilities in this industrial complex.
In addition, the agency decided to conduct thorough inspections for one month on all heat-processed poultry products produced at a total of 18 facilities located in two regions (Hebei Province and Liaoning Province) near the Inner Mongolia industrial complex in China where the facility is located.
Choi Jeongrok, head of the Quarantine Agency, stated, "We will continue to do our utmost to prevent the introduction of animal infectious diseases by thoroughly inspecting imported livestock products, including heat-processed poultry."
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