The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is considering whether to propose to the Ha Noi People's Committee that it encourage beef, pork and poultry traders to transport meat more hygienically by supplying them with vans, according to an official source.

Nguyen Huy Dang, the department's deputy director, said numerous firms were failing to obey regulations regarding the hygienic transport of meat because they lacked the funds to buy vans themselves. Instead, he said they were resorting to using bicycles and motorbikes. Many do not cover the meat properly.

Decision 61 of the Ha Noi People's Committee states that meat must be transported in covered boxes.

Nguyen Hong Bao, deputy head of Ha Noi's Market Watch Department, said the committee delivered 50 free boxes to livestock and poultry traders at Thinh Liet slaughter house for the safe and hygienic transport of meat. However, he said the boxes were rarely used, because they were considered too small.

Mr Dang admitted that the boxes supplied could only hold about 40kg to 50kg of meat, while meat from a single slaughtered pig weighed about 70kg to 80kg.

In addition, pork kept in an enclosed space often becomes smelly, added Dao Van Hung, who owns a butchers in Goc De Market.

Preliminary findings from an ongoing survey of slaughter houses have found that most traders slaughter animals hygienically, Mr Dang said.

He added that Thinh Liet, Bac Thang Long and Phung Khoang slaughter houses had the best facilities.

However, he said facilities at smaller slaughter houses at Xanh, Dinh Cong and Ba Chac markets needed to be upgraded.