Chua: Irresponsible actions hurting pork industry

NST: JOHOR BARU: The irresponsible actions of some pig farmers in Selangor and Malacca in using a banned growth enhancer has hurt the country’s pork industry, as consumers now fear eating pork.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, however, said pork produced by farms in Johor, Perak and Penang have been found to be free of beta-agonist.
Since the ban on beta-agonist in 1996, pork butchers had become the scapegoat for the action of errant farmers who used the drug, which is listed under the Poisons Schedule.
It was reported that at least 20 pork butchers nationwide had been fined RM2,000 for selling pork tested positive for beta-agonist over the last two years. No farmer, however, has faced legal action.
In May, the Consumers Association of Penang advised consumers to refrain from eating pork as half of the samples tested in Penang showed they were tainted with salbutamol, a type of beta-agonist.
MCA traditional agriculture bureau chief Datuk Dr Lee Chong Meng had reported that 70 per cent of the pigs bred in Selangor tested positive for the banned drug.
Beta-agonist is used to speed up the growth of pigs, and enhance its lean meat content.
Consumers who eat pork tainted with the substance could suffer from headaches, dizziness, breathing difficulties and palpitations. The substance may be fatal for those with asthma or heart disease.