The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has released typical cases of law enforcement in the area of agricultural product quality and safety for 2022.

Release Date:

2023-01-10

　　In 2022, agricultural and rural departments nationwide vigorously advanced the three-year campaign to “ban prohibited substances, control pesticide residues, and promote quality improvement” for food‑producing agricultural products, stepping up regulatory oversight and law enforcement. They rigorously cracked down on the illegal use of banned or restricted drugs, strictly managed cases of excessive residues of conventional agricultural and veterinary medicines, and investigated and prosecuted a number of cases involving agricultural product quality and safety. These efforts effectively deterred illegal and criminal activities and ensured the safety and quality of agricultural products. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has selected and released the following 10 typical cases:
　　I. The Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau of Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County, Hainan Province, investigated and found that Mr. Wen used a prohibited substance in the cultivation of yardlong beans. Pesticide Acetamiprid Case
　　In February 2022, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau and the Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau of Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County, Hainan Province (hereinafter referred to as “Baoting County”), in accordance with the results of routine monitoring for agricultural product quality and safety, jointly conducted a supervisory spot check on yardlong beans cultivated by local villager Wen. The yardlong bean sample was found to contain a prohibited pesticide. Pesticide Acephate and its metabolite, methamidophos. Upon investigation, it was found that the defendant, Mr. Wen, cultivated a total of 1.5 mu of the implicated yardlong beans, using pesticides that are prohibited for use on vegetables. Pesticide Purchased from a street vendor, the Baoting County Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau, in accordance with the Hainan Province Regulations on the Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products, ordered the party concerned to destroy the yardlong beans grown on that plot. In March 2022, the Bureau legally referred the case to the public security authorities for investigation and handling. At present, the case has entered the stage of review and prosecution by the procuratorial organ.
　　II. The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Huadian City, Jilin Province, investigated and found that Mr. Han used prohibited substances in the cultivation of celery. Pesticide Phorate case
　　In December 2021, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Huadian City, Jilin Province, received a case referral from the city’s Market Supervision Administration, which reported that prohibited pesticides had been detected in celery samples randomly inspected from a certain fresh‑produce company. Pesticide Phorate—upon tracing the source, it was determined that this batch of celery was supplied by farmer Han Moumou. Investigation revealed that the batch was cultivated by farmer Han Moumou from Sandaocha Village, Su Migou Qianjin Village, Huajiao Township, totaling 327.5 kilograms. In January 2022, the Huadian Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs legally referred the case to the public security authorities for investigation and handling. In June 2022, Han Moumou was convicted of producing and selling toxic and harmful food and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, fined RMB 5,000, and ordered to forfeit the illegal gains in accordance with the law.
　　III. The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Malong District, Qujing City, Yunnan Province, investigated and found that He Moumou used a prohibited pesticide in the cultivation of yellow‑heart cabbage. Pesticide Chlorpyrifos case
　　In December 2021, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Malong District, Qujing City, Yunnan Province, conducted a supervisory spot check on yellow‑heart cabbage cultivated by a vegetable farmer surnamed He. The sample of yellow‑heart cabbage was found to contain a prohibited pesticide. Pesticide Chlorpyrifos. Upon investigation, it was determined that the party had cultivated a total of 6 mu of the implicated yellow‑hearted Chinese cabbage, with a declared value of RMB 7,800. In April 2022, the Malong District Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs legally referred the case to the public security authorities for investigation and handling. At present, the case has entered the stage of review and prosecution by the procuratorial organ.
　　IV. The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Dayi County, Sichuan Province, investigated and penalized Mr. Gong for using prohibited substances in strawberry cultivation. Pesticide Oxymatrine case
　　In March 2022, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Dayi County, Sichuan Province, conducted a supervisory spot check on strawberries grown at Shuoxin Family Farm in Anren Town and detected the presence of pesticides prohibited for use on vegetables and fruits in the strawberry samples. Pesticide Oxymatrine. Upon investigation, approximately 15 kilograms of strawberries were found to be involved in the case. The de facto head of the family farm, surnamed Gong, was fully aware that oxymatrine is prohibited for use in fruit production, yet he still applied it to his strawberry crops and subsequently sold the strawberries treated with the pesticide. In June 2022, the Dayi County Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs legally referred the case to the public security authorities for further investigation and prosecution. In October 2022, Mr. Gong was convicted of producing and selling toxic and harmful food and sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for one year, together with a fine of RMB 10,000. His illegal gains were also recovered in accordance with the law, and he was prohibited from engaging in food production, sales, or related activities during the probation period.
　　V. The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Chengde City, Hebei Province, investigated and found that Mr. Lü, in the cultivation of chives, failed to comply with… Pesticide The label content uses standard conventions. Pesticide Procymidone case
　　In January 2022, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Chengde City, Hebei Province, received a case referral from the local Market Supervision Administration, alleging that a certain supermarket was selling chives with conventional… Pesticide The residue test for procymidone was unsatisfactory. Tracing revealed that the batch of chives was cultivated by a villager named Mr. Lü from Pianqiaozhi Town, Shuangluan District, in this city. Upon investigation, Mr. Lü admitted to having used conventional practices during the cultivation of the chives. Pesticide Procymidone, although according to Pesticide Instructions for use, including methods of labeling and dosage, as prescribed. Pesticide However, the produce was harvested and sold to a supermarket before the required safety interval had elapsed. In accordance with the law, the Chengde Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs imposed an administrative penalty on Mr. Lü, fining him RMB 1,000 and confiscating his illegal gains.
　　VI. The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Commission of Wuqing District, Tianjin Municipality, investigated and prosecuted Liu et al. for slaughtering live cattle that were required by law to undergo quarantine but had not been quarantined, and for injecting water and other substances into such cattle.
　　In August 2022, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Commission of Wuqing District, Tianjin, received public reports alleging illegal activities in Dong Village, Sanjie, Hexiwu Town, including water injection, drug injection, and unauthorized slaughter of live cattle. The Commission promptly conducted an on-site inspection, convened with public security authorities for case analysis and assessment, and jointly carried out a surprise operation. At the slaughter site, investigators seized 2,535 kilograms of beef, 1,857 kilograms of bovine by-products, 21 live cattle, 100 kilograms of sodium benzoate, 50 kilograms of edible magnesium chloride, 25 kilograms of guar gum, and various tools used for slaughtering and water injection. Law enforcement officers collected a total of 65 samples on-site—beef, beef liver, and illegally injected liquids—and testing revealed that 51 beef samples, 11 liver samples, and one sample of the injected liquid all contained non‑compliant levels of sodium benzoate; furthermore, 21 of the 51 beef samples exceeded permissible moisture limits. Investigation showed that the suspect, Liu, had been illegally engaging in cattle slaughter in Wuqing District since May 2022. The cattle involved had not undergone quarantine, and during the slaughter process, water and a mixture of sodium benzoate, guar gum, and magnesium chloride were injected into the animals. In August 2022, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Commission referred the case to the Wuqing District Public Security Bureau for criminal investigation, resulting in the arrest of 18 suspects. Preliminary findings indicate that the group had been conducting illegal beef‑cattle slaughter since 2018, with the total amount involved approaching RMB 200 million.
　　VII. The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Xin County, Shandong Province, investigated and imposed penalties on Shandong Huasheng Food Co., Ltd. for producing and selling black-bone chickens with veterinary drug residues exceeding the permissible limits.
　　In April 2022, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Xin County, Shandong Province, received a case referral letter from the county’s Market Supervision Administration, stating that Wujian chicken products sold by Shandong Xin County Huasheng Food Co., Ltd. had been found to contain residues of the conventional veterinary drugs trimethoprim and sulfonamides exceeding the permissible limits. Upon tracing the source, it was determined that this batch of Wujian chickens, totaling 515 birds, was produced by Shandong Xin County Huasheng Food Co., Ltd. and had been sold for a total of RMB 7,728. In May 2022, the Xin County Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau imposed an administrative penalty in accordance with the law, confiscating the illegal gains of RMB 7,728 and imposing a fine of RMB 5,000 on the company.
　　VIII. The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Zhenyuan County, Gansu Province, investigated and imposed penalties on the Zhenyuan County Huimu Yuanyuan Breeding Specialized Cooperative for selling live pigs that were still within the withdrawal period.
　　In May 2022, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Zhenyuan County, Gansu Province, received a case referral letter from the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Chongxin County, stating that pork products produced by the Huimu Yuan Livestock Breeding Professional Cooperative in Zhenyuan County had been found to contain residues of the conventional veterinary drugs enrofloxacin and sulfonamides exceeding the permissible limits. Upon investigation, it was determined that the cooperative’s principal had administered intramuscular injections of enrofloxacin and sulfonamide‑based medications to one pig for treatment; however, before the withdrawal period had elapsed, the pig was transported along with 59 other pigs to Shengyuan Slaughter Co., Ltd. in Chongxin County. Following slaughter, part of the pork products was sold to a local supermarket in Weibin District, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, where sampling inspections conducted by the local Market Supervision Administration revealed excessive residues of enrofloxacin and sulfonamides. The value of the implicated pork products amounted to RMB 2,000. In accordance with the law, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Zhenyuan County imposed an administrative penalty on the party concerned, confiscating the illegal gains of RMB 2,000 and imposing a fine of RMB 30,000.
　　IX. The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Changning City, Hunan Province, investigated and imposed penalties on the Zhenghao Ecological Agricultural Professional Cooperative for using furazolidone—prohibited in food-producing animals—in its bullfrog farming operations.
　　In May 2022, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Changning City, Hunan Province, conducted a supervisory spot check on the Zhenghao Ecological Agriculture Professional Cooperative and detected furazolidone— a substance prohibited for use in food-producing animals—in samples of its farmed bullfrogs. Investigation revealed that, in order to treat gastrointestinal inflammation in the bullfrogs, the cooperative had purchased furazolidone tablets online and added them to the frogs’ feed. In August 2022, the bureau referred the case to the public security authorities for investigation. The case is currently under investigation.
　　X. The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Puyang City, Henan Province, investigated and dealt with Yiming in Fan County. Aquaculture Case of a fish farm using florfenicol and doxycycline APIs to feed fish fry
　　In July 2022, enforcement officers from the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Puyang City, Henan Province, acting on leads provided by the public, conducted an inspection at Yiming in Fan County. Aquaculture During an enforcement inspection of the breeding farm, authorities discovered one bag of yellow powder and one bag of white powder stored on the premises, neither of which bore a veterinary drug approval number on its outer packaging. Upon investigation, it was determined that the two bags contained flufenicol and doxycycline active pharmaceutical ingredients, respectively. The… Aquaculture The person in charge of the aquaculture farm, surnamed Di, admitted to having used two kinds of veterinary pharmaceutical raw materials to feed the fry at the farm. In September 2022, the Puyang Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in accordance with the law, imposed penalties on the… Aquaculture The breeding farm was imposed an administrative penalty of a fine in the amount of RMB 10,000.