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Sick cow scandal
http://www.sina.com.cn 2003/07/30 10:03  上海英文星报

  MORE than 2 tons of milk from cows stricken with tuberculosis were being supplied every day to customers in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, according to the Yangcheng Evening News.

  Experts point out the bacterium could live even after sterilization and cause customers to contract tuberculosis by drinking the milk. So the only proper approach is to kill all the cows identified as having the disease, according to Chinese health regulations.

  After receiving reports from readers, the newspaper launched an investigation into a livestock raising company named Yunyan, a large-scale dairy business operating in Taihe Town.

  The newspaper's research revealed that 70 per cent of the cows owned by Yunyan have pulmonary tuberculosis but the staff had hidden the problem and were selling the milk to the public.

  Five years ago, the company, which was privatized earlier this year, had a herd of 1,400 cows producing 12 tons of milk a day. In 1999, some cows were found to be infected with pulmonary tuberculosis and the herd was reduced to 630 cows.

  "The dead cows showed terrible pathological changes in their lungs. The lungs were festering and had an offensive odour," said one former worker with the company.

  Last year, to stop the spread of the disease, the dairy isolated the sick cows but this failed to control the outbreak. The report said only 100 cows of the 630 original survivors remained healthy today.

  Despite this, all the cows were being taken to the milking machines three times a day and their milk was being sold.

  Cows which had been injected with antibiotics would be milked by hand and their milk was being sold at the discount rate of 1,500 yuan (US) per ton.

  Milk, before being sent from the dairy has to be tested for quality. When the results showed Yunyan's milk to be sub-standard the company ordered chemicals to be added to "improve" the quality before government inspections.

  The scandal was reported by former workers who had been forced out after the company was privatized and was bought by its three directors.

  The newly formed company cut workers' wages in half and laid off 27 to reduce costs.

  Because checks from the government were anticipated, the cows were given huge doses of medicine everyday. Many displayed hideous symptoms such as convulsions or drooling white liquid. These "embarrassing" animals were hastily sent to the slaughterhouse.




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