Food Safety Focus (214th Issue, May 2024) – Article 2
Pork Jowl - Safe to Eat?
Reported by Dr. Eunice FOK, Veterinary Officer,
Slaughterhouse (Veterinary) Section, Centre for Food Safety
Pork jowl refers to “the part of meat connecting the head and trunk of a pig”. In March 2024, there were news reports about the use of poor quality pork jowl, which was said to contain “a number of lymph nodes, lipomas and thyroid glands”, for food manufacturing processes in Fuyang, Mainland China. It was reported that consuming processed meat products made from such pork jowl might result in adverse health effects. The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) reported this incident in a Food Incident Post on 19 March 2024. The CFS's investigation did not identify local sale or import of the affected products.
Pork is a popular meat and a common food ingredient for preparing various dishes locally. Control measures by the Government are in place at different levels to ensure the food safety of pork supplied to the market in Hong Kong.
Control Measures for Live Pigs Supplied for Pork Production in Hong Kong
The majority of live pigs are imported from Mainland China and the remaining ones come from local farms. To safeguard food safety, imported pigs must be sourced from registered farms and accompanied by valid Animal Health Certificates. On the other hand, local pig farms are monitored by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. All pigs must be slaughtered in the two licensed slaughterhouses in Hong Kong, namely Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse and Tsuen Wan Slaughterhouse, where they must undergo stringent ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection.
Suspected diseased or injured pigs are screened out for isolation slaughter during ante-mortem inspection. Meat inspection is performed by qualified health inspectors. If the health inspector considers that the animal is suffering from any disease or condition rendering the carcass, offal or the affected parts unfit for human consumption, he/she shall condemn the animal carcass, offal or the affected parts and order for their destruction.
In addition, urine samples are also collected from every batch of pigs admitted into the slaughterhouses for testing of residues of agricultural chemicals and veterinary drugs in accordance with the Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Chemical Residues) Regulation, Cap. 139N. If samples are found to contain prohibited chemical residues, the concerned batches of pigs in the slaughterhouses would be withheld from entering the food chain and destroyed.
The above measures ensure that only meat fit for human consumption is released from the slaughterhouses for sale in the market.
Figure: Ante-mortem and Post-mortem Inspection of Pigs in Hong Kong Slaughterhouses
Regulation of Imported Pork in Hong Kong
The basic requirement, as stipulated in Section 54 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (PHMSO), is that no food intended for sale should be unfit for human consumption. Imported pork in Hong Kong is regulated by Imported Game, Meat, Poultry and Eggs Regulations (IGMPER), Cap. 132AK. Specifically, Regulation 4(1)(a) of Cap. 132AK requires meat, poultry or eggs to be imported with a health certificate issued by an issuing entity recognised by the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene.
Food Safety Surveillance for Pork and its Product in Hong Kong
The CFS also collects food samples, including pork and its products, at various levels including import, wholesale, and retail/catering for routine, targeted, and seasonal projects, and carries out follow-up actions as required. (For details, please refer to current Issue Article 1.)
Advice to the Public
- Should purchase pork from reliable sources such as licensed food premises and licensed fresh provision shops.
- Observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene when handling raw pork.
- When preparing pork dishes, check that they are thoroughly cooked. The core temperature of the pork should reach at least 75°C for at least 30 seconds. When using a food thermometer, it should be inserted into the centre of the thickest part of the meat.
Advice to the Trade
- Live pig traders should purchase pigs from approved sources.
- Pork traders should source pork from approved suppliers.
- Traders engaging in food business should observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene and ensure that pork is thoroughly cooked as per the advice to the public above.