By Glazyl Masculino
BACOLOD CITY - Local authorities have seized 41 kilograms of meat products in Negros Occidental this week.
The joint inspection team led by personnel of the Provincial Veterinary Office recently confiscates mishandled imported meat products at the public market of Cadiz City in Negros Occidental. (Contributed Photo via Glazyl Masculino/MANILA BULLETIN)
Dr. Ryan Janoya, head of Animal Health and Meat Inspection Services Division of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), said, 15 kilograms of sausages were intercepted at Bacolod - Silay Airport in Silay City last Oct. 10.
Janoya said the frozen pork products came from Pampanga and were shipped by a resident of Talisay City for personal consumption.
"This violates the province’s existing 90-day ban on pork products coming from Luzon," he said, adding that the sausages were shipped back to its point of origin.
Moreover, members of the Provincial Task Force on African Swine Fever (ASF) also confiscated at the airport, 12 kilograms of assorted pork products last Oct. 8.
Janoya said the processed products including siomai and sisig were actually misdeclared as these were listed as fishery products.
"It has no permits specifically as pork products and it is also non-compliant to the existing ban," he said, adding that the team disposed the products at the airport.
The items were transported from Quezon City and we're supposed to be delivered to a food stall in Bago City, he said.
Meanwhile, another 12.7 kilograms of "mishandled" imported meat products were confiscated from a stall at the public market of Cadiz City last Sunday.
These are on top of one kilogram of pork liver, which was also sold at the public market.
Janoya said the stall violated the guidelines on proper display of imported meat products.
"It has nothing to do with the ban, rather on the meat safety regulations," he said, adding that this is to protect the consumers from possible poisoning cases.
As penalty, the products were confiscated and turned over to the City Veterinary Office for proper disposal.
The PVO official said they are also intensifying the campaign on food safety alongside measures to protect the province's swine industry from ASF.