Groceries in Cordillera up for scrutiny

SunStar File
SunStar File

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Cordillera is set to conduct weekly inspections in groceries selling pork-based ham products to ensure the absence of contamination from African Swine Fever (ASF).

Myrna Pablo, DTI Cordillera director, said the measure will be based on the guidelines given by the National Government to make sure these products are safe for human consumption.

"What happens is the big areas which have pork-based factories or processing plants is being inspected by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) of the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Trade and Industry in the national level are inspecting these places like for instance that of a processing area in Region 3 which have been closed on October 21 due to the entry of African Swine Flu affected pork products," Pablo said.

NMIS is currently making sure the area will be clean and free from contamination before being allowed to re-operate.

"We have instructed our provincial offices that starting November 7 or 8 of this year, a monitoring of the Noche Buena items sold in groceries and Christmas lights will be done. Although we were declared as an ASF-free region, we want to make sure that no ASF contaminated pork based products will enter our region," Pablo said.

Checkpoints administered by the NMIS have been put in place in the different parts of the region to ensure the no entry of possible ASF-infected pork products.

"There is an existing requirement and guidelines for those selling meat products and slaughterhouses to post their NMIS certification and accreditation and I understand that NMIS have been conducting monitoring activities, particularly here in Baguio City and the other provinces. What is important here are the starting points or sources like the factories or slaughter houses where the raw meat products are being slaughtered because those in the markets are only the recipients," Pablo added.

DTI monitors processed products, while market-based pork products is being monitored by the NMIS of the Department of Agriculture and the City Government.

Pablo assured that at present, the region still has the appropriate supply of pork-based meat products.

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