No "double-dead" meat in Talisay

CEBU, Philippines – Talisay City yesterday confirmed its public markets are free of rotten, or "double-dead," meat and will remain so for as long as the measures to combat its entry are in place.

City Administrator Richel Bacaltos said representatives from the city health office and market and slaughterhouse administration rushed to the Tabunok public market last week to verify whether the report that such meat was being sold there.

Bacaltos said the team found no double dead meat, and to allay fears of consumers, inspections will continue especially holiday season is approaching.

It is expected that the demand for meat products increases exponentially during Christmas and New Year's Day.

The Tabunok Public Market has also become the focus of the city government considering that consumers here come from the different parts of southern Cebu and some from Cebu City.

Double-dead meat is considered unsafe by the National Meat Inspection Service as it may come from animals that died of some disease which could likely be transmitted to humans.

Bacaltos said apart from the regular monitoring of meat products, backyard butchering, or slaughtering of livestock outside the city's abattoir, is also being closely watched.

Meanwhile, Bacaltos said the presence of imported meat cuts in the city's public markets is beyond the city's control since owners of these products have secured permits from the national government.

He said the sale of these popular imported meats is hurting the abattoir's income.

During its heyday, the city's modern slaughterhouse used to earn around P800,000 per month.

These imported frozen meat cuts, reportedly from Canada and Brazil, stored in huge boxes, are cheaper than the local meats.

But a Tabunok public market meat vendor said that unlike local meats, imported meat product are not fresh.

The shipment from their port of origin may take several days or even weeks to reach the country, she said.

She also said the competition is hurting sellers of local meats because consumers would normally pick the cheaper ones anytime. (FREEMAN)