History of pig farming in Hong Kong
Hong Kong people are very impatient. They will see "local pigs" in any market or supermarket. It seems that local pigs are sold all over Hong Kong. In fact, local pigs are not necessarily locally produced pork. In fact, live pigs are imported from China to Hong Kong and then local pigs are slaughtered in Hong Kong.
The development of local pigs began as early as the late 1940s, when a large number of refugees fled to Hong Kong and the population increased rapidly. At that time, Hong Kong pig farmers mainly raised large white and blue pond pigs. The pigs were all black and white, and their bellies could be so big that they could drag the floor. They were very fat. At that time, pigs were raised and there were no requirements for nutrition. They could just feed them with water. There were many poor people at that time, and they tended to eat pigs with more fat and less lean meat.
Due to its small territory and dense population, Hong Kong has limited agricultural development, so its food supply mainly relies on imports. Hong Kong’s food culture has always been deeply influenced by Cantonese culture’s emphasis on the freshness of ingredients, and pork is no exception. Hong Kong’s pork supply system is a supply system established in the consumer market. In 2024, local pig farmers in Hong Kong will supply about 250 pigs per day, while Ng Fung Hong will supply more than 3,000 pigs to Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government policy discourages local pig farming for environmental protection, and actively revoked the licenses of local pig farmers in 2006. Currently, there are about 60 pig farms in Hong Kong.
Advantages of local pigs in Hong Kong
The feed for pigs is relatively particular. They usually use American soybeans, corn, and Danish fishmeal. The nutritional and hygienic quality is very high.
In addition, the AFCD’s supervision can also ensure that there are no banned drugs. If banned drugs have been used, it will be difficult for Hong Kong pig farms to escape legal liability using rapid inspection methods. Therefore, it is very safe to eat Hong Kong pig.
You can listen to Mr. Lu Yinqiang, the owner of Yiu Sang Farm, share the history of local pigs and the pig raising process:
In addition, the short-distance transportation of local pigs greatly reduces the carbon footprint of food ingredients, and can also reduce the stress on pigs during transportation, making the pork taste better 😋!
In the past, Hong Kong experienced the disasters of asthmatic pigs and clenbuterol
In the past, a large number of illegal drugs were used in pig raising, including clenbuterol and asthma drugs, which caused citizens to lose confidence in local pigs. There are currently seven banned drugs and 37 controlled drugs that are regulated. The seven banned drugs for use in food-producing animals include two Class B agonists (albuterol and clenbuterol), two antibiotics and three hormones. Most of the 37 controlled drugs are antibiotics, and the law stipulates that the concentration of these drugs in animal tissues shall not exceed the specified maximum residue limit. In addition, albuterol is also regulated by the Harmful Substances in Food Regulations (Cap. 132AF). Currently, urine samples are randomly collected from every batch of pigs entering Hong Kong's slaughterhouses. The Center for Food Safety has repeatedly found that urine samples from pigs imported from overseas and the Mainland contain residues of prohibited veterinary drugs after preliminary testing. The urine samples also contained residues of salbutamol, a Class B agonist. Class B agonists are synthetic substances that stimulate adrenergic beta receptors in all body tissues, including skeletal muscles. Salbutamol has a bronchodilatory effect and can relieve dyspnea. It is a commonly used drug in the treatment of asthma patients. However, the use of albuterol in food-producing animals is prohibited in Hong Kong.
Clenbuterol is a veterinary drug primarily used to treat bronchospasm in horses. Clenbuterol hydrochloride is a synthetic substance called "B agonist". Because Class B agonists can increase the ratio of muscle to fat, they can also be used as growth promoters to make animals grow lean meat, so they are commonly called "clenbuterol".
As early as 1963, a large number of documents have documented the benefits of adding Class B agonists to farm animal feeds, including improving feeding efficiency, promoting growth, making animals gain less fat (increasing the proportion of lean meat) and increasing production. Muscle mass of meat animals, etc. In the early 1990s, due to the outbreak of poisoning accidents caused by the consumption of beef liver containing Class B agonists (clenbuterol hydrochloride) in various places, the European Union banned the use of Class B agonists in animal husbandry. Class B agonists The halo has also begun to fade.
There are many types of beta-agonists, including ractopamine. Ractopamine was registered in Hong Kong in 2007 and is approved for use in food animals according to label instructions to increase meat production.
Since food quality is all based on personal feelings, it is very subjective. Whether a food feels healthy or not is affected by many factors, but having more lean meat can make consumers visually feel that the meat is healthy and high-quality. Because of this consumer perception, there is an incentive for the industry to continue using Class B agonists.
These banned drugs are very heat-resistant in edible tissues and remain stable after being boiled in boiling water at 100 degrees Celsius. Common household cooking methods (such as boiling water, baking, frying and microwave cooking) cannot eliminate these residues. And the researchers found that small amounts of the drug migrated from the tissue into the surrounding fluid or juice. Symptoms of poisoning by these B agonists include nervousness, headache, tremors, dry mouth, chest pain or tightness, fast or irregular heart rate, pain spreading to the arms or shoulders, nausea, sweating, dizziness, epilepsy (convulsions), Dizziness or fainting.
There have been cases of clenbuterol poisoning in Hong Kong, most of which were related to the consumption of contaminated offal (especially pig lungs and livers). From 1998 to 2003, the Center for Health Protection of the Department of Health recorded a total of 70 confirmed cases of clenbuterol poisoning, involving 163 people. No new cases have been received since 2003. The Center for Health Protection recorded no cases of food poisoning related to these Class B agonists during the same period.
In both 2015 and 2017, there were reports of local pig farmers using the banned veterinary drug chloramphenicol, which came from local farms. After the center learned of the test results, it immediately isolated the pigs involved in the slaughterhouse in accordance with established procedures. If the test results are later confirmed to contain chloramphenicol, the batch of pigs will be destroyed.
Local pig farmers introduce local pig breeds with Hong Kong characteristics from overseas
In order to allow Hong Kong people to taste "fresh", "healthy" and "hygienic" high-quality black pork, the manager, former chairman of the Hong Kong Poultry and Livestock Federation, Tam Kwok-chu, specially introduced black pigs that have been bred in Taiwan for decades. The pigs are brand new black. Let Hong Kong people easily recognize it. The feeding adheres to the "natural" principle and the feed contains no chemical additives, no pigments, and 100% no growth hormone and clenbuterol. The feed for iberico pigs is mainly soybean meal and corn. It is also the first company in Hong Kong to obtain ISO22000 and HACCP food certification, allowing everyone to buy with more peace of mind.
Hong Kong Heritage Pig
Hong Kong Heritage pigs introduced British Berkshire black pigs and Danish Landrace pigs for breeding, and then fed them with an exclusive feed formula certified by the European Union, successfully breeding Hong Kong's unique top-quality black pigs! We strive to give every Hong Kong person the opportunity to taste fresh, delicious and safe local pork.
Ying Ming Farm
Ying Ming Farm, located in Shung Shan San Tsuen, Yuen Long, is one of the largest pig farms in Hong Kong, covering an area of about 80,000 square feet. It currently raises about 2,800 local pigs, of which about 30% are locally bred black pigs. Yuen Long’s self-raised black pigs are grown with organic feed and are hormone-free. They have fragrant skin, refreshing meat and juicy meat. The whole family can eat with peace of mind!
Local pig supply to local market situation
There are currently more than 30 pig farms in Hong Kong, accounting for about 10% of the total supply. The supply of live pigs in Hong Kong reaches 2,600, of which 2,000 are from the mainland and the remaining 600 are local pigs. The average selling price is about NT$2,300 per quintal. Due to the very strict laws governing farms in Hong Kong, if a plague breaks out in a pig farm, nearly 3,000 pigs will be killed. The pig situation suffered a disaster, and the entire army was wiped out. The loss may be as high as 17 million yuan.
資料來源：蘋果日報果籽（ 2020年7月25日）
Advice to consumers
In Hong Kong, the use of clenbuterol hydrochloride and albuterol as growth promoters in food-producing animals is prohibited.
Ractopamine is a drug that has been confirmed in recent years to promote lean body mass.
Pig farmers need to practice good feeding practices when using ractopamine.
When purchasing meat and its products, you should patronize reliable suppliers.
When purchasing meat and its products, you should visit reliable and licensed butchers.
References:
- [70 Years of Hong Kong Pigs] African swine fever revives local pig industry (in Chinese)
- 19 local pigs suspected of containing banned veterinary drug chloramphenicol | Hong Kong 01 (in Chinese)
