Lean meat powder control requires addressing both root causes and symptoms, and cracking down hard on illegal addition

In recent years, in order to strictly investigate the illegal act of adding "lean meat powder" to pigs, beef cattle, sheep and their products, agriculture and animal husbandry departments at all levels as well as management departments such as health, food and drug administration, and industry and commerce have increased sampling and inspection efforts and strictly investigated illegal acts. Within a certain period, the quality of livestock products improved markedly, but the illegal act of adding "lean meat powder" was never fundamentally curbed. Although the existing regulatory methods involve sampling and inspection at every level and consume a large amount of manpower and material resources, there are always those that slip through the net, and it is difficult to trace positive samples once they are found.

Fundamentally stopping the illegal addition of "lean meat powder" is an inevitable requirement for improving the quality and safety level of livestock products and safeguarding the people's health and life safety. It is also an inevitable choice for fulfilling departmental duties and maintaining the government's image. Strengthening "lean meat powder" supervision must address both root causes and symptoms. On the basis of improving existing measures, root-cause solutions should be studied and proposed.

First, we should draw on the integrated production, processing and sales model of broiler chickens and milk, guide large slaughter and processing enterprises to establish their own breeding bases, or establish stable contractual purchase and sales relationships with large-scale farms, strictly test for "lean meat powder" during the slaughter stage, and once a positive result for "lean meat powder" is found, pursue the legal liability of the supplying farm in accordance with the law.

Second, strictly enforce construction standards for slaughter enterprises. Slaughter enterprises that reach a certain scale must establish their own breeding bases or establish fixed contractual supply and sales relationships with large-scale farms. Establishing a stable contractual supply and sales relationship with a slaughter enterprise should be made a necessary condition for farms to enjoy national support policies.

Third, implement a market access system for pork, beef and mutton in large and medium-sized cities. Only meat products from slaughter enterprises that have established breeding bases or fixed contractual supply and sales relationships with farms should be allowed to enter large and medium-sized cities.

Fourth, simplify "lean meat powder" sampling and inspection work. Relevant departments conduct sampling and inspection separately at stages such as breeding, slaughter, and market sales, mainly to play an early warning role. Slaughter enterprises carry out full inspection, report positive samples to agriculture and animal husbandry departments, and investigate and punish the supplying farms in accordance with the law.