PROCESSED meat products, such as hot dogs and bacon, from big firms like San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc. (SMFB) and CDO Foodsphere Inc. (CDO), were disallowed in some Luzon provinces due to the animal disease scare.
In a letter to Cabinet secretaries obtained by the BusinessMirror, the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi) urged the government to issue “clear-cut” guidelines to resolve the disruption in meat trade caused by different rules being implemented by local government units (LGUs).
Pampi on Tuesday relayed its concerns to Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar, Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez and Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año.
“On behalf of the meat processing industry, may we respectfully and urgently seek clear and coordinate government policies and/or guidelines governing domestic trade, both intra-regional and interprovincial, of locally-produced processed meat products,” the letter read.
“During the past week, our industry experienced confusion and disruption in the national distribution of our products to consumers arising from LGUs’ own interpretation and implementation of ASF [African swine fever] control measures,” it added.
Pampi said SMFB, CDO and Pampanga’s Best Inc.’s shipments were unable to enter certain provinces in Northern Luzon due to the temporary ban slapped by LGUs amid the “animal disease scare” sparked by the deaths of scores of hogs in parts of Luzon, downed by a still-unidentified virus. Processed meat products that were disallowed entry were hot dogs, bacon, hams and tocino. Pampi said it has not received complaints from members about LGUs restricting canned meat products.
Confusion
Pampi said the transport and delivery of processed meats have been stopped at provincial borders and its members were required to show sanitary or veterinary certificates from the National Meat Inspection Service or authorized veterinary officers. However, Pampi said processed meat products are no longer under the jurisdiction of the NMIS or the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) following the implementation of the Food Safety Act of 2013.
Under the Food Safety Act, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an attached agency of the Department of Health, was tasked to oversee the domestic trade of processed meat products.
Pampi said it is “totally confused and exasperated” since the products of its members are under the jurisdiction of the FDA “which does not issue veterinary certificates or shipping permits.”
Pampi added that the FDA only issues license to operate (LTO) permits for manufacturing plants and certificate of product registration for specific items.
“Our understanding of the FDA mandate is that if we are compliant with their requirements, our products under their jurisdiction are freely tradable within our country,” the group said.
“Hence, until such time that ASF is conclusively determined to have infected our hog population, it is to the best interest of our economy and of our consumers to allow unhampered trade and flow of processed meat products throughout the country,” it added.