FDA urged to monitor imported meat products

MANILA, Philippines - A global food company yesterday asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to step up its monitoring of imported meat products, saying that smuggled and hot meat are expected to flood the market this Yuletide season.

In a statement, Mantek Philippines Food Safety manager Randz Umali noted that these products did not pass through the National Meat Inspection Services (NMIS) so they pose a threat to consumers.

“Unscrupulous meat and food traders would take advantage of the buying binge of our people during the holidays. We cannot blame the buying public to go for cheaper food products especially that money is hard nowadays,” he added.

But Umali maintained that health should not be compromised so the public should “buy meat and other food products that come from reputable food manufacturing companies.”

“The products of these food companies are certified to be safe for consumption by the NMIS. People might be deceived that they saved a few pesos in buying cheap meat products but it might cost them tenfold in hospital expenses if they get sick due to food poisoning,” he said.

Earlier, Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, an infectious disease specialist at the Department of Health, warned against buying processed meat of doubtful preparation or sources because they might have been enhanced with hot meat.

Lee Suy urged the public to buy processed meat products only from vendors that they trust. He claimed that when enhanced with food coloring and other additives, hot meat might no longer be identifiable.

According to Umali, the public should be “more cautious in purchasing and checking the quality of food handling on all perishable food products this holiday season.”

“Food Safety is a scientific discipline in handling, preparing and storing of food in ways that prevent food borne illnesses. This includes a practice that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards. Food can transmit disease from person to person as well as serve as a growth medium for bacteria that can cause food poisoning,” Umali said.