On 24 October 2024, a batch of egg products exported from China to Europe was urgently notified by the European Union (EU) due to the detection of banned antibiotic enrofloxacin at excessive levels. This batch of problematic products affected ten European countries, including Belgium, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Spain and Sweden. This incident not only let the Chinese export enterprises suffered heavy losses, but also let the international market on China's food safety issues again questioned.
It is learnt that this batch of egg products exported to the EU was found to contain excessive amounts of enrofloxacin by inspectors during a routine inspection of the EU's Rapid Alert System for food and feed categories. Enrofloxacin is an antibiotic commonly used in poultry farming, mainly for the treatment of bacterial infections in poultry, but it has been explicitly banned from use in the farming industry by a number of countries due to its potential threat to human health, especially the resistance problem that may arise.
This incident is not an isolated case, as early as 2020, Outlook Weekly conducted an in-depth investigation into antibiotic pollution in the Yangtze River Basin. The results of the investigation were shocking, among pregnant women and children tested in the Yangtze River Delta region, about 80 per cent of children's urine samples were detected with veterinary antibiotic ingredients. What is reflected behind this figure is the widespread abuse of antibiotics in the farming industry.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MAFRD) has in fact long formulated a stringent veterinary drug residue monitoring programme, requiring strict control of veterinary drug residues in eggs. However, in the actual implementation process, some farmers still use prohibited antibiotics in violation of the law in order to maximise profits. These non-compliant practices eventually led to this incident of exported eggs being returned.
This incident has not only damaged the image and credibility of Chinese food in the international market, but also triggered public concern about food safety. In order to safeguard food safety, the relevant authorities should strengthen supervision and exercise strict control over the use of antibiotics in the farming industry to ensure that food products do not contain prohibited antibiotics. Meanwhile, consumers should also pay attention to checking product labelling and certification information when purchasing food and choose safe and reliable food.
In conclusion, the food safety problem of excessive antibiotics should not be ignored. Relevant departments should step up their supervision and testing efforts to ensure that the antibiotic content in food complies with national standards and regulations. Meanwhile, consumers should also raise their awareness of food safety and choose safe and healthy foods.
Post time: Oct-31-2024