The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MOAE) made the request in a dispatch dated June 4 to the administrations of provinces and centrally-run cities.

The document references recent media coverage revealing illegal slaughtering and selling of sick and dead pigs. Key incidents are the seizure of a truck transporting 180 sick and dead pigs for distribution in Ha Tinh on May 30, and the discovery of a truck carrying dead pigs to a slaughterhouse in Quang Tri on June 3.

It’s noteworthy that a particularly serious case involves accusations of C.P. Vietnam Livestock Co. Ltd. selling sick pigs to the market. This case is currently under investigation by the Ministry of Public Security at the request of the MOAE.

In its dispatch, the MOAE requested that localities urgently tighten the management and oversight of animal slaughtering activities to ensure disease control and food safety. It asked for enhanced surprise inspections of slaughterhouses, immediate suspension of operations at violating facilities, and strict handling of cases involving slaughtering of sick or dead pigs for consumption.

Operations at slaughterhouses that lack proper permits, fail to meet hygiene and veterinary safety standards, or use banned chemicals and additives must be immediately suspended, says the MOAE document.

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