Do beef and mutton contain clenbuterol? Food and drug authorities will carry out priority spot checks

The State Food and Drug Administration announced on the 24th that it will list beef, mutton and “clenbuterol” as priority varieties and priority items for supervisory spot checks and increase the intensity of spot checks.

According to the introduction, recently, relevant provinces and municipalities found in supervisory spot checks and special monitoring that beef and mutton (including beef and mutton offal products) sold in markets, supermarkets, shops and restaurants in some areas contained “clenbuterol.”

In order to further standardize beef and mutton sales practices, severely crack down on illegal acts of selling beef and mutton containing “clenbuterol,” and effectively ensure the quality and safety of beef and mutton, the State Food and Drug Administration requires all localities to organize and carry out supervision and inspection in light of the actual conditions of their administrative regions, focusing on comprehensive inspection of small workshops processing beef, mutton and their products, production enterprises, farmers' markets, shopping malls, supermarkets, meat shops, catering service units and other places, and thoroughly investigating and cleaning up substandard beef and mutton.

The State Food and Drug Administration requires all localities to urge beef, mutton and related meat product production and operation enterprises, catering service units, farmers' markets and others, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, to establish and strictly implement systems of incoming goods inspection, obtaining certificates and invoices, and record-keeping for purchased beef, mutton and related meat products, and to designate dedicated personnel responsible for acceptance inspection; the purchased beef and mutton must have quarantine and inspection certificates of conformity and must all be traceable. Purchasing and using beef and mutton of unknown origin, without quarantine certificates or failing quarantine is prohibited. At the same time, capable enterprises and market operators are encouraged to strengthen “clenbuterol” testing and inspection of beef and mutton, handle any problems immediately and report them to regulatory authorities.

The State Food and Drug Administration also requires all localities to severely crack down on illegal and non-compliant acts and strengthen information reporting. (Reporter Xu Qingsong)