AMID the continued threat of the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered the temporary banning on the importation, distribution and sale of all processed pork meat products from Singapore.
Based on FDA Order No. 2023-0790, Singapore is now the 30th country where there is a ban in place for processed pork meat products due to the ASF.
"In the interest of public health and coherent efforts in preventing the entry of the African Swine Fever virus, the FDA adopts the temporary banning on the importation, distribution and sale of all processed pork meat products from Singapore," said the FDA.
"The FDA would like to reiterate that it does not allow the registration of processed pork meat products from these ASF virus-affected countries," it added.
Aside from Singapore, also covered by previous FDA orders are China, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Zambia, South Africa, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Mongolia, Moldova and Hong Kong.
Also prevented from sending processed pork meat products are North Korea, Laos, Germany, Indonesia, Greece, Myanmar, Serbia, Slovakia, South Korea, Zimbabwe, Malaysia, Thailand, Italy and Czech Republic.
And with a ban in place, the FDA advised the public to exercise "extreme caution" in purchasing and consuming processed pork meat products.
"Only consume processed pork meat products, which are sourced from countries other than the listed countries suspected to be affected by the ASF virus," said the FDA.
For its part, the FDA said it will closely monitor business establishments and the local market on their compliance with the said ban.
"A heightened post-marketing surveillance and audit is being conducted on all concerned and covered establishments to ensure full compliance to the foregoing FDA orders," said the FDA.
The African swine fever is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting swine of all ages.
ASF is not considered a threat to human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)