AT least 127 personnel of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) will be on duty 24 hours a day during the holidays to apprehend and hold criminally liable all violators of meat-safety rules.
The campaign to revive the Oplan Pasko na Naman project of the DA and NMIS was announced just as consumers were swarming meat shops and buying tons of processed meat products like ham, bacon, sausage, meat loaf, corned beef and smoked chicken.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the campaign was launched without much fanfare on December 1, with members of the NMIS Task Force Bantay Karne and its counterparts in the local governments inspecting slaughterhouses, meat shops and market stalls.
Alcala said the NMIS is tasked to ensure that the meat products being sold in the markets come from animals that are healthy.
The principal targets of the task force are those selling “double dead” meat or botcha, which refers to the meat of sick animals that were still slaughtered and sold. Botcha is typically priced lower than the meat that has passed the NMIS and considered safe for all consumers.
Alcala stressed that the task force members will arrest meat traders and vendors who take advantage of the holiday rush to sell unsafe meat or warm, chilled and frozen meat that has not been handled properly.
The DA and the NMIS are also engaged in an information campaign to tell consumers about the importance of safe meat handling for fresh, chilled and frozen meat.
Meat vendors and handlers are expected to abide by the NMIS regulations in order to avoid suffering stiff penalties.
NMIS Executive Director Minda S. Manantan said, “It is much better to invest in preventive measures than outright resorting to punitive actions. The NMIS believes that improving the safety measures at the retail area helps in reducing food-borne diseases caused by improper handling of food, including meat.”
“If there’s one area in the chain where food safety is weak, then, the whole food-safety system is compromised,” added Manantan, who is the concurrent assistant secretary for regulations.
She said violators will be issued warnings and given a chance to comply with the regulations within a certain period of time.
The Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines provides that the NMIS is the sole national controlling authority on all matters pertaining to meat and meat product inspection and meat hygiene.
Local governments are the main implementors of the NMIS regulations that were designed to protect consumers.
“With the implementation of the campaign, the consumers are assured that the meat that they will serve on their tables this Christmas season will be safe,” Manantan added.