MANILA, Philippines — The country’s largest group of meat processors assured consumers that locally processed meat products are safe for eating amid heightened measures against the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF).
The Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI) maintained that processed products, including canned meat and hotdogs do not contain meat materials coming from ASF-infected countries.
This, following a nationwide campaign of the Food and Drug Administration to recall processed meat products purportedly imported from ASF-infected countries.
The FDA has issued Memorandum Order 2019-046 for all importers, distributors, retail outlets and dealers to immediately recall all pork meat products imported from countries that might be affected by ASF.
“The FDA should be cautious and specific in its pronouncements which could lead to confusion and uncertainty among consumers. Recall orders should be product specific,” PAMPI president Felix Tiukinhoy said.
“We ask the FDA to identify the brands and countries of origin, instead of issuing general statements that are not helpful to consumers but are prejudicial to local manufacturers,” he added.
While most of the ASF-infected countries do not export meat products to the Philippines, Tiukinhoy said locally produced meat products are displayed in supermarkets and groceries along with imported products which could lead to confusion among consumers.
PAMPI members plan to work out a system with supermarket operators to institutionalize the segregation of local processed meats from imported items.
The local meat processing industry produces more than P300 billion in sales annually and provides direct employment to 150,000 people.
Further, the FDA order also calls for the seizure of all imported pork meat products for distribution, offered for sale, transfer, and/or for donation found during the conduct of continuous monitoring of FDA Regulation Officers.
FDA has assured the Department of Agriculture (DA) that it has already suspended the issuance of registration of processed pork meat products from the identified ASF-affected countries.
Pursuant to DA Memorandum Order 30 and 31, FDA expanded its temporary ban of entry of meat and meat products from Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Moldova, South Africa, Zambia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium, Latvia, Poland, Romania, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Mongolia, Vietnam and Cambodia.
ASF is a fatal animal disease affecting pigs and wild boars with up to 100-percent mortality, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Countries affected by the disease include China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia and North Korea.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol has been urging meat importers to observe control and regulation in sourcing out canned meat even from countries not affected by ASF and instead buy from local hog raisers.
With about four to five months buffer stock from domestic and cold storage, he assured meat importers that local hog raisers are prepared to supply the country’s demand.
Agriculture undersecretary Ariel Cayanan said the appeal of DA and hog raisers aims to resolve future food security problems.
“The FDA said that while the temperature or the heat needed to kill viruses is a good parameter, we cannot take this as the sole parameter to be considered. On a regulatory point, it is not yet secured,” he added.
“While ASF will not affect people, we also need to look at the food security concerns of the country,” Cayanan said.