By Betheena Unite
A shipment of imported meat from Japan that was brought into the country with no clearance and health certificate was recently intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Bureau of Customs (MANILA BULLETIN)
A total of 84 kilograms of imported meat were seized by the Bureau of Customs for lack of pertinent documents such as the Bureau of Animal Industry clearance and health certificate.
It was reportedly brought in by a passenger who failed to present the required import documents to ensure that no contaminated meat products will enter the Philippines, especially with the temporary ban of all processed pork meat products from certain countries possibly infected by African swine fever virus.
Although the shipment's origin is not included in the list of banned countries for pork meat importation, the bureau seized the items to prevent possible entry of infected meat products.
The shipment was turned over to Bureau of Animal Industry-Veterinary Quarantine Services on May 27.
According to Port of NAIA District Collector Mimel Talusan, they have seized 4,496 kilograms of meat and meat products from January to May 2019 this year.
Earlier, nine more countries were added to the list of nations banned for importation of processed pork meat products due to suspicions of African swine fever virus.
Temporary ban on the importation, distribution, and sale of all processed pork meat products from Vietnam, Zambia, South Africa, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Mongolia, Moldova, and Belgium were recently ordered.
This brings the list of the Department of Agriculture on banned country-source of pork meat products to 16 nations in total as the same ban was also enforced on China, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine last year.