The Ministry of Agriculture told a conference in Beijing on Tuesday that a new inspection system will be established this year to protect consumers from clenbuterol, a dangerous and illegal fodder additive.

Vice Minister Yin Chengjie said the safety of fodder is of great importance to people's health and should be strictly supervised.
   
According to the ministry, livestock feed will be checked not only where it is produced but also where it is consumed, and the results will be released to the public.
   
Clenbuterol hydrochloride is a stimulant known as shouroujing (literally 'lean meat essence') in Chinese and is used by some farmers to increase the body mass of pigs.

It has been used to treat respiratory diseases in animals, and is one of many substances used by some bodybuilders and athletes to improve performance.

According to Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, consumption of clenbuterol-tainted food can result in dizziness, headache, hand tremor, palpitation and agitation, with more serious side effects for people with heart disease.

It tends to accumulate in internal organs, making lungs, livers, kidneys and other offal from pigs fed with clenbuterol particularly dangerous.
   
Yin said the ministry and public security departments have organized several operations to crack down on the practice of adding it to fodder.

(Xinhua News Agency April 6, 2005)