KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will put a temporary ban on imported pork products following the detection of African Swine Fever (ASF) virus DNA in a canned luncheon pork sample in Sarawak.
State Agriculture and Food Industry (Mafi) Minister Datuk Junz Wong said the ministry viewed the situation as a huge concern and had taken preventive measures.
“Mafi, via the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), will conduct a meeting with all the relevant departments, including health, tomorrow,” he told the New Straits Times.
“We will zero in on outlets selling these (imported pork) products after the meeting to launch a concerted effort by the relevant authorities to ensure Sabah is safe and free from the said virus,” said Junz.
On Oct 27, Sarawak enforced a temporary ban on pork and pork-based products imported from ASF-affected countries, including China.
This came after the Sarawak Department of Veterinary Services detected DNA of ASF virus in one of 17 canned luncheon pork imported from China that underwent laboratory testing on Oct 25.
Sarawak DVS, in a statement, said the department and relevant agencies would conduct checks on all supermarkets.
It stressed that affected products would be removed from shelves, while products in shipment would undergo the “hold-test-release” mechanism to ensure they were free of ASF virus contamination.
As of Oct 27, Sarawak has detained 20kg of animal products brought by travellers at entry points.