Audit Highlights Control Failures (Image Credits: Flickr)
European regulators have identified significant weaknesses in China’s oversight of poultry meat destined for the EU market.
Audit Highlights Control Failures
The Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety conducted an audit in China from November 3 to 14, 2025, focusing on official controls for poultry meat products and rabbit meat intended for export to the bloc.[1]
Inspectors visited four poultry slaughterhouses, two rabbit slaughterhouses, and four poultry processing plants, primarily in Shandong and Henan provinces. Only poultry from Shandong holds approval for EU entry, yet authorities could not verify that shipments originated exclusively from this region.[1]
Certification processes emerged as a core concern, with certifying officers lacking verifiable evidence for key attestations on origin, animal health, and welfare. Communication breakdowns between China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and General Administration of Customs compounded these issues.[1]
Traceability and Segregation Breakdowns
Audit teams found unreliable traceability on final packaged products, including missing batch-specific information and incomplete raw material records.[1] One major processing plant failed to document origins at critical control points, undermining Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points plans.
Operators often handled both EU-eligible and non-EU products without adequate segregation. EU-listed slaughterhouses received animals from unapproved sources, and companies ran parallel facilities without proof of separation.[1]
- Missing farm lists and origin verification for Shandong compliance.
- No batch certificates linking slaughter to processing.
- RASFF alerts for mislabeled poultry, such as duck meat falsely declared.
Animal Welfare and Hygiene Lapses
Stunning methods at poultry slaughterhouses drew sharp criticism, with outdated equipment failing to ensure effective welfare outcomes. None of the four sites recorded stunning parameters, and issues like pre-shock handling and overcrowding in water baths went undetected by local inspectors.[1]
Hygiene controls faltered as well. Ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections occurred, but contamination risks persisted – faecal matter and hemorrhages on carcasses escaped rejection in two facilities. Dirty cold stores with flaking ice and unsterilized tools added to the problems.[1]
Rabbit meat production showed similar welfare gaps, including unmonitored electrical stunning and cross-contamination risks in feed.
Rising Imports Amid Concerns
Poultry imports from China have surged, reaching around 50,000 tonnes in the first ten months of 2025 – a 33.6 percent increase year-over-year – making it the EU’s fifth-largest supplier.[3][4] Volumes hit 100,000 tonnes annually by 2024, up from 20,000 in 2017.
Residue monitoring for Salmonella and other pathogens met standards, providing some reassurance. However, 32 Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed notifications between 2023 and 2025 flagged fraud and contaminants in Chinese poultry.[1]
Calls for Action and Outlook
The European poultry association AVEC, representing 95 percent of EU production, demanded a precautionary import suspension until fixes are verified, citing risks to public health and fair competition.[4][3]
EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides outlined corrective actions required by late February 2026. The report urged China to train certifiers, enforce welfare rules, and bolster hygiene verification.[1]
Key Takeaways:
- Official controls lack guarantees for public health and welfare attestations.
- Traceability and segregation failures compromise certification.
- Swift EU response needed to protect consumers and market integrity.
These revelations underscore the challenges of maintaining uniform standards in global supply chains. Regulators now face pressure to balance trade growth with safety. What do you think about these findings? Share your views in the comments.
