South Africa prepares for a pork-off with Canada over health claims

South Africans will happily eat millions of dollars worth of Canadian pork every year, but if we keep (allegedly!) exporting our animal diseases, there are going to be consequences. According to a piece in the Globe and Mail, that country may file a complaint to the World Trade Organization about Canadian pork, as some of our leftovers have been “finding their way into the food chain of local farms, causing outbreaks of animal diseases.” Should international intrigue over a bit of pork strike you as silly, the Globe points out that of the $41 million in meat products that Canada shipped to South Africa last year, most of that was chicken and pork. Indeed, Canadian pork makes up half of the higher-end stuff in their grocery stores. Apparently, South Africa might consider new health-based restrictions on imports, rather than a formal WTO complaint—and because Canada’s pork industry relies on presenting its clean bill of health to potential importers, that doesn’t sound much more promising. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »