DA tightens inspection of meat sourced abroad

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture has beefed up its authority to check on imported meat products after its mandatory inspection at first border has been expanded to cover processed meat products.

In a recent memorandum order, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the DA through its attached agencies, National Meat Inspection Service and Bureau of Animal Industry, has been authorized to inspect processed meat products as part of their expanded mandate.

“The Food and Drug Administration has authorized officers of NMIS and BAI to conduct inspection, evaluation and other regulatory action covering every incoming shipment of pork-based processed or prepared food being imported into the Philippines,” Dar said.

“All veterinary quarantine officers and inspectors are authorized to inspect all NMIS non-accredited private cold storage warehouses and container vans or any items that are possible carriers of ASF at the ports of entry or first border and cold storage warehouses or second border,” he added.

The move also covers all related issuances to control the spread of African swine fever in the country and is relative to the implementation of the National Zoning Plan.

The authority given will remain in force for one year or until December 2020, unless sooner revoked or cancelled by the FDA.

Before this, NMIS and BAI are only allowed to inspect raw meat products as the Food Safety Act mandates the FDA to do inspection on processed meat.

To recall, some processed meat products of Pampanga-based Mekeni Food Corp. tested positive for ASF.

Latest data showed that affected areas with ASF totalled to 612 barangays in 73 municipalities in the nine provinces infected namely Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Tarlac, Rizal, Cavite, Pangasinan, and parts of Metro Manila.

Of the total 612 barangays, 329 are ASF-positive while 283 underwent depopulation due to the protocol but tested negative for the disease.

Cumulative total of 147,334 hogs have been killed and disposed since the outbreak in August. Bulk of which or 121,331 were from backyard farms.