May 5 (Bloomberg) -- China and other countries banning pork imports from Canada are taking a “very unscientific stand” because swine flu isn’t transferred through meat products, said Canadian Trade Minister Stockwell Day.

Canada maintains international standards in regulating the pork products, and the North American country will oppose the ban “in the most vigorous terms,” Day told reporters in Riga, Latvia today.

“Any focus on solutions to containing the virus that are not scientifically based only serve to confuse people,” Day said. “Our message to China is the same message to any country that is taking steps against the meat products themselves: it’s unscientific, it is a distraction and it’s confusing.”

China, the world’s biggest pork consumer, banned imports of pork products from Alberta province, Canada, as a precaution it said was to prevent the spread of swine flu.

At a press conference in Prague later in the day, Day said his country may file a complaint with the World Trade Organization if China doesn’t remove the ban.

Canada will pursue a “WTO challenge if we have to,” Day told reporters.

To contact the reporter on this story: Aaron Eglitis in Riga at aeglitis@bloomberg.net;

Last Updated: May 5, 2009 18:06 EDT