By Sabyasachi Samajdar, FoodBizDaily.com Bureau Chief – New Delhi
June 29, 2009 – In view of H1N1 influenza commonly known as swine flu India had made ban on imports of pigs and pork. The European Union and United States have made complaint to the World Trade Organization against India’s move regarding this ban.
The Committee on Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary measures under WTO has said in its meeting recently held in Geneva, “On the bird flu, the EU and US continued to complain that India’s restrictions on pigs and pig meat are unjustified scientifically.”
In response to this complain India stated, “It has scientific evidence of the risk in pigs and pork from the US and EU.”
The Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, said that the World Health Organization has reported 6,497 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 infection in 33 countries.
“In view of this the Government of India had imposed ban on pigs and pork,” the official sources told FoodBizDaily.com here today.