THE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday said it would recommend the recall of processed meat products manufactured by a “medium-scale” Central Luzon-based processor after some of its items, like tocino and longganisa, tested positive for African swine fever (ASF) virus.
In an interview with reporters, the DA said it would write to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to order the recall of the items. The ASF-positive products were intercepted in Calapan, Mindoro.
The items were confiscated by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) and local government units (LGUs) from a passenger in-bound to Mindoro.
The hand-carried items came from Central Luzon, and the raw pork materials for the products were locally produced hogs from ASF-infected areas, according to the DA-NMIS initial investigation.
Furthermore, the DA said the ASF-positive processed meat products did not undergo the internationally accepted standard for inactivation of the virus—cooking in 70 degrees celsius for 30 minutes.
Aside from the “branded” processed meat products, the DA said home-made processed meat products that were confiscated in the same port of entry tested positive for ASF.
In a statement to
reporters, FDA OIC-Director General Eric
Domingo said they are still waiting for the DA’s report but assured the public
that consumption of such products poses no threat to human health.
Comingled
On Thursday, the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi) met with BAI OIC-Director Ronnie D. Domingo to discuss the products that were positive for ASF virus.
Citing Domingo, Pampi Spokesman Rex Agarrado said the government did not name the brand of the processed meat products, as initial investigation showed there was comingling and possible cross contamination of items in the process.
Agarrado explained that the government had confiscated two different sets of processed meat products in Calapan, Mindoro, last October 6, with one being the branded items and the other as the home-made ones. The items were tested for ASF virus last October 15.
The authorities took the samples of processed meat items and put all of them in one styro-box resulting in the comingling, and possible cross contamination of goods, Agarrado added.
“This is why they cannot name the brand. We think it’s fair reason for them not to put blame on that specific brand because it was comingled with home-made brands,” he told reporters in an interview after his meeting with Domingo.
“They don’t want to officially mention the brands because of the fear that it could be [a case of] cross contamination,” he added.