China bans feeding of food waste to hogs in provinces with African swine fever

BEIJING: China has banned the use of food waste as pig feed in provinces that have reported African swine fever outbreaks as well as neighbouring regions, the agriculture ministry said on Thursday, the latest measure to halt the spread of the disease.

The use of pig blood as a raw material in producing feed for pigs has also been banned, he Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement online.

The ministry will also take samples from pig feed to check for the virus and feed testing positive would be destroyed.

African swine fever is a highly contagious disease that cannot be cured and has no vaccine. It can also be transmitted in pork products, animal feed or by people.