Tonga MAFF: Recall issued for canned pork distributed in disaster relief goods

Tonga is recalling all canned pork products its National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) had given out to residents on Saturday.

It is understood the recall was announced yesterday on Radio FM 87.5 saying it came from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests.

It warned residents not to eat or dump the emptied cans if they had been opened.

Photos of what appeared to be the products were shared on Facebook this morning.

It showed the apparent product with its label written in Asian and English languages.

One says: “Canned Pork Luncheon Meat”.

It also showed the company’s name, “Guangzhou Eagle-Coin Food Group Co. Ltd”.

The Chinese company was previously known as Guangdong Cannery and it said on its website that it integrated more than ten food and beverage enterprises, including Guangqixiang Cannery, Yangcheng food factory, Lingnan biscuit factory, Asian soda factory and Conghua Sanhua distillery.

A post on Facebook by Vakaloa Beach Resort warned the public about the recalled products.

It said: “We received 1 carton of this Canned Pork Luncheon Meat yesterday. Best not to consume or disposed these cans. It’s not safe for the health apparently”.

The Minister of Disaster was contacted for comment.

The recall comes amid arrivals of aid shipments from several countries following the January 15 deadly tsunami.

China shipped relief supplies worth 1 million yuan (157,900 U.S. dollars) on Monday from Fiji to Tonga, reported Xinhua.

“According to Chinese Ambassador to Fiji Qian Bo, most of the relief supplies, including drinking water, food, electric generators, water pumps, chain saws, personnel protective equipments and medical supplies, have been raised by the Chinese Embassy in Fiji and the remaining was donated by the Chinese enterprises in Fiji”.

While the kingdom was still reeling from the catastrophic effects of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcanic eruption, it recorded its first Covid-19 cases in the community on Tuesday prompting the Prime Minister to order a nationwide lockdown on Wednesday.

A new case of Covid-19 was detected on Friday, with the government extending the lockdown to another 48 hours. The lockdown was lifted for the two Niuas.

The new case brings the total number of cases in Tonga to five, with an earlier case already recovered.