Presence of rat meat in Kazakhstan airlines' meals impossible: Healthcare Ministry

Chinese rat meat could not have gotten into flight meals of Kazakhstan airlines, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Albert Askarov, Director of the Transport Department of the State Commission for Sanitary and Epidemiological Control of Kazakhstan's Healthcare Ministry. Earlier around 1 thousand people were arrested in China for selling rat and fox meat under the guise of beef. Russia has already responded to this incident by recommending its air companies to abstain from purchasing flight meals in China. Kazakhstan Healthcare Ministry confirmed that Air Astana and SCAT perform regular flights to Urumqi and Beijing in China. However, according to Askarov, low-quality meat products could in no way have gotten into the flight meals of these companies. “The meals are purchased only from flight meal factories that are under constant and strict control, including by our Department. No low-quality goods can be supplied there. The incident in China is related to uncontrolled markets. I completely preclude any possibility of the counterfeit products getting into the flight meal factories,” Askarov said. By Dmitriy Khegai