Illegal mooncakes

Remember that piece of news on pork sausage and chicken meat that had been brought into Japan illegally (if not, check it out here)? Well, something quite similar happened in the U.S.: Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists discovered and seized a shipment from China with prohibited food items at John F. Kennedy International Airport. 

• The shipment containing over 40 lbs. of mooncakes, 1,200 lbs. of olives, and nearly 2,600 lbs. of clams was destroyed by CBP agriculture specialists, in accordance with USDA regulations.

Why on earth are mooncakes forbidden, you might ask? The Chinese bakery product can contain pork products, and China is affected by various swine diseases, including African swine fever (ASF) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

• CBP Agriculture Specialists are the first line of defense in those matters, and since agriculture is the largest industry and employing sector in the U.S., Foreign animal diseases (FADs) are one of the greatest risks – not only to this industry but to the entire country.