Supermarkets violate pork ban

CEBU, Philippines — In another round of inspections, the Provincial ASF Task Force seized over one P100,000 worth of pork-related products imported from Luzon from prominent supermarkets in Cebu City.

Provincial Veterinarian, Dr. Rose Vincoy, said these pork-related products include canned goods and processed pork.

Products worth P18,392 were confiscated from one supermarket while another batch worth P54,901 were confiscated from another. Yet a third supermarket continued to display products worth P17,918, which were also confiscated.

The task force also confiscated products worth P9,165 from a grocery store and products worth P3,180 from stalls in a mall.

Vincoy said they launched the inspections following tips from concerned individuals. She disclosed that majority of the supermarkets they inspected did not display the pork products during the previous inspection, which made the task force believe that the supermarkets may have hidden the products away in the past or they actually imported new ones.

“Initially, katong mga month of August, September, some ani wala man gyud silay produkto, pero naa’y uban nga nibalik. Kon gitaguan lang ba to, we don’t know (In August or September, some of the supermarkets no longer displayed the products. Whether or not they just hid the products, we don’t know),” Vincoy said.

The products confiscated will be disposed of through geothermal destruction on Monday.

“I will also report it to the governor kay every week naa man tay disposal (I will also report it to the governor because we dispose of products every week),” Vincoy said.

Vincoy said the weekly disposal is for pork and pork-related products seized from passengers at piers and ports. This equals to a weekly average of 100 kilos per week that are up for thermal destruction.

Aside from supermarkets, the Task Force has also started inspecting wet markets and convenience stores in the province.

In a meeting, the provincial government, haulers, and the association of hotels, restaurants and resorts have agreed that food wastes from member establishments should be boiled before they are disposed of. This is to avoid the possibility of using contaminated food wastes for swill for pigs.

Haulers will also be checked on their license to operate. (FREEMAN)