New regulations in terms of banned food and animal products have come into force on November 1, 2012 in China. Individuals, who attempt to bring bird’s nest into the country could face a fine. Birds nest is a traditional delicacy in the Asian country.
The delicacy is made from the saliva of the Cave Swift, and has now been added to the list of banned food products The banned food products also include a few fruits and vegetables. In China, Bird’s nest is a popular gift as well, particularly in the south. Now however, only the canned variety is allowed through customs.
New rules have been provided by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in the month of August, 2012. The rules have mentioned that people entering the country must declare if their luggage contains any genetically modified products, endangered animals or plants. People who fail to declare, or provide false information can face fines of up to 5,000 yuan.
Even if the goods are declared, the passengers must have a valid certificate, or else they will be destroyed. Passengers moving in an out of China are increasing by ten percent every year, this can increase the risk of foreign species entering the country and threatening the ecological system. On Thursday, many people were stopped as they attempted to bring in fruit at the Guangzhou East Railway Station in Tianhe district.