17-7-2023 (BANGKOK) Air passengers have been cautioned against bringing a specific type of illegal Chinese-branded sausage into the country due to its potential to spread the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus.
The warning about the safety of this meat, commonly enjoyed in Chinese-style hotpot restaurants, was issued in a Facebook post by the Department of Livestock Development’s (DLD) Quarantine and Inspection Canine Unit at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
According to the post, one of their detection dogs led them to seize 100 illegal sausages from the luggage hold of a Hainan Airlines flight that departed from Meilan International Airport in Haikou County, China, on July 13.
The pork sausages in question were sold under the brand name Shuanghui, known to Thai consumers as Lion Brand, and produced by a manufacturer in Henan province. These sausages gained popularity among consumers due to the rise of Chinese-style hotpot restaurants in Thailand.
Lertchai Lertwut, deputy secretary-general of the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA), stated that none of the sausage brand importers had registered with the FDA, which is why the packaging lacks a food serial number or legal label.
The seized batch of defective sausages, weighing a total of 8.5 kilograms and valued at least 2,000 baht, was immediately confiscated as an epidemic of swine fever had been detected in the country of origin.
Sophat Chawankul, the DLD deputy director-general, explained that enhanced security measures have been in place since 2018 when an increase in ASF cases was first reported in Asia.
Presently, individuals involved in the illegal importation of livestock and livestock products may face up to two years in prison, fines of up to 200,000 baht, or both, he added.
On the FDA’s side, Mr. Lertchai mentioned that the importer would face charges of unauthorized food product importation.
They could be detained for a maximum of three years and fined up to 30,000 baht.
The sausages have been sent for further analysis, and charges will be filed against the importer once the results are obtained, according to Mr. Lertchai.
