Thailand: Pigs Fed Carcinogenic Drugs

[Cheeky Farang]

Thailand: Pigs fed carcinogenic drugs Sep 10 2005

Thai agriculture officials have seized 10,000 pigs after finding their feed was mixed with illegal drugs that can cause cancer, the government said today.

The agriculture ministry inspected 400 farms and some 200,000 pigs in Prachuab Khiri Khan province and found that eight farms had used banned chemicals, according to a news release.

“Most of the animal feed was made with carbadox, which is a dysentery medication for pigs, but it can cause cancer in people who eat this pork,” the release quoted Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan as saying.

Livestock workers tested the feed and found four farms used carbadox – which has been shown in some studies to cause cancer – while four others employed the antibiotics nitrofuran and furazolidone, also potential carcinogens, the release said.

The farm owners will be charged with using banned substances in animal feed and face a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment and a 10,000 baht (£120) fine, livestock department chief Yukol Limlamthong said.

He said the livestock department will investigate the executives of companies that imported the drugs and could charge them with trafficking illegal chemicals, which is punishable by three to five years in prison.

The pigs will be held for 70 days and then tested again for the substances. If no chemicals are found in their systems, they may be sold, Yukol said.

Prachuab Khiri Khan is 140 miles south-west of Bangkok

( Why does this drug give cancer to the MUU ? CF)

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/07...-name_page.html

Edited September 10, 2005 by Cheeky Farang

[khall64au]

I just ate pork... for the last time!