US Customs stop shipments of prohibited meat from Hong Kong
1,104 pounds of pork, 298 pounds of poultry haltedUS Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agriculture Specialists at the Louisville Port of Entry intercepted several shipments containing Porky Pig’s relatives not declared in boxes hoping to avoid detection, according to a press release from the authorities.
Between August 20 and August 28, Agriculture Specialists stopped 13 shipments from the same corporation in Hong Kong, heading to the same company in Bellerose, New York. Each shipment contained pork items, some contained pork and poultry items, and one contained pork and other prohibited food. In total 1,104 pounds of pork, 298 pounds of poultry, and 88 pounds of prohibited foods were seized. The receiving corporation was notified about their prohibited shipments and the food was destroyed.
Pork products from Hong Kong are prohibited due to outbreaks of African swine fever, Classical swine fever, and swine vesicular disease in the region. Because of the presence of these three swine diseases, all pork products from Hong Kong are not permitted without the applicable US Department of Agriculture Veterinary Services permits. Additionally, the avian products from Hong Kong are also prohibited because of Virulent Newcastle Disease and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
“Louisville’s CBP Agriculture Specialists are focused on their mission to prevent entry of prohibited items from entering the United States,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations, Chicago Field Office. “These seizures clearly show how critical their role is in preventing diseases from entering the United States.”