An official from the City Veterinarian’s Office (CVO) underscored the importance of asking for the Meat Inspection Certificate (MIC) when purchasing lechon for the holiday season.

Corazon Sepulveda, officer-in-charge of CVO, said on Thursday morning, December 14, at the City Mayor's Office, urged consumers that lechon is butchered in accredited slaughterhouses to receive a valid MIC, indicating compliance with antemortem and post-mortem inspections, assuring the meat's safety.

“Please always ask for the meat inspection certificate for every box of lechon that you will order,” she said.

The certification assures consumers that the meat is safe for consumption, having undergone legal processing rather than illegal slaughter.

The CVO's meat inspectors and control officers are stationed in accredited slaughterhouses nationwide.

Sepulveda assured the public that regular monitoring and surveillance occur in public markets, lechon houses, and meat shops. 

Shops without a MIC risk product confiscation and condemnation.

Consumers are advised to buy meat from establishments displaying their MIC and to avoid those without one. This ensures traceability and allows consumers to identify the meat's origin. 

She also said that consumers must use the senses of touch, smell, and sight to verify meat freshness.

The CVO monitors backyard pig raising and conducts African Swine Fever (ASF) tests at the Davao City Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Maa. RGP