The producer of pork from the Netherlands, banned for import, marketing and consumption throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was identified and the offending consignment determined.

The Minister of State in charge of Foreign Trade, Jean-Lucien Busa, gave this clarification Wednesday, February 27 in Kinshasa after his meeting with a delegation of the European Union. This clarification from the European Union delegation comes after the warning on the danger of intoxication of pork imported from the Netherlands in November 2018.

Guillaume Chartrain, Deputy Head of Delegation, assures that the danger of meat intoxication is not on all pork produced by the Netherlands: "It's really a problem, as I say, which is conjunctural, which is circumscribed to a specific lot, to a specific producer. I think the rest of the food products from the Netherlands are excellent for consumption".

Despite these assurances, the DRC should strengthen its control system, according to State Minister Jean Lucien Busa. "I instructed the Congolese Office of Control to reinforce its vigilance and make urgent the control of all meat coming especially from the Netherlands," he said.

According to the information received, "the danger is not imminent; especially since it is circumscribed to a lot". The producer has been identified and the address of the importer in the DRC is known, according to the same source.

But, at the same time, the DRC should take precautions, to save Congolese of the risk of contamination. A mission will also be conducted on the ground to follow the path of this importer which has been identified, Jean Lucien Busa continued.


(CKS/Yes)