THE National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) has issued guidelines on online selling and house delivery of meat following the proliferation of online selling of meat products caused by the current threat of the pandemic.
The NMIS has required online sellers of meat to register with the Department of Trade and Industry and apply for a business permit from their concerned local government unit.
Online sellers of meat should be knowledgeable and implement the specific requirements of food law.
To endure that the meat is safe and fit for human consumption, the NMIS said it must be sourced from locally sourced meat from NMIS Licensed Meat Establishments (ME) or local government unit Locally Registered Meat Establishment (LRME), and imported meat from the Department of Agriculture (DA) Accredited/Foreign Meat Establishment and DA Accredited Cold Storage Warehouses (CSW).
The meat sold online should also be accompanied with either the Meat Inspection Certificate or Certificate of Meat Inspection.
NMIS said, without the aforementioned certificates, the meat will be considered "hot meat" and will be confiscated.
The City Veterinary Office, for its part, remind the online sellers of the ban on entry of pork products coming from Luzon and other African Swine Fever (ASF)-affected areas which is still in effect.
Last Tuesday, July 14, the City Veterinary Office (CVO) has inspected four major grocery stores and two pharmacies in Cogon Market.
City Veterinarian Dr. Lucien Anthony Acac said they noted that some establishments did not follow the sanitary standards, such as safe food handling to prevent disease-causing bacteria or pathogens from contaminating the food.
The veterinary office advised the store management to comply with the existing sanitation standards to ensure that the products are safe for consumption.
An information education campaign was also conducted at a restaurant serving pork products only.
Acac advised the restaurant manager to patronize locally produced pork meat to avoid the risks of contracting ASF.