Tuesday, November 13, 2007 Cebu City to confiscate meat from Talisay abattoir
THE Cebu City Government will start confiscating meat from livestock slaughtered at the Talisay City Abattoir starting Thursday.
This, after the City Department of Veterinary Medicine (DVMF) learned that the abattoir did not renew its AA accreditation with the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS).
Meat from abattoirs with a double A accreditation can be sold anywhere in the country. Talisay city’s NMIS accreditation expired last May 12, 2006.
Executive Order 137 prohibits meat from an abattoir that is not accredited with the NMIS from being sold in places outside the slaughterhouse’s jurisdiction.
40 to 50 percent
City Veterinarian Alice Utlang said Talisay’s abattoir supplies 40 to 50 percent of meat products in Cebu city.
But, she said, the move will not adversely affect meat supply here because dealers can still have their livestock slaughtered at the Cebu City abattoir.
If not, they can do so in satellite abattoirs with DVMF meat inspectors at the Cebu city south district or in the north district.
Option
Or, the meat dealers could go to the Sunpride Foods Corp.’s abattoir in Mandaue City that has a double A NMIS accreditation.
Utlang said the Cebu City abattoir likewise do not have an NMIS accreditation, which is being processed.
But the abattoir, which at the most could get only a single A accreditation, only caters to Cebu City consumers, she said.
Utlang and 21 meat dealers are meeting NMIS officials today to discuss the DVMF’s decision.
She said that in 2005, Cebu City also refused the entry of Talisay city meat but the ban was immediately lifted after Talisay showed an NMIS accreditation.
The DVMF has a sustained campaign against hot meat, which is not only intended to protect consumers but also to better the collection of fees.
Utlang said they are implementing stringent measures because of anomalies they observe, like when a meat vendor instead of the dealer was the one who handed over an inspection certificate.
There was also an instance when the meat they intercepted did not have the required markings, which prompted them to seize the product. (RHM)
