THE Philippines is crafting a national standard on meat labeling to address the issue of non-compliance with existing labeling standards for both locally-produced and imported meat products.
The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards, an attached bureau of the Department of Agriculture (DA), has started conducting public consultations on its prospective Philippine National Standard (PNS) on labeling of meat products (pork, beef and chicken).
The BAFS held its first virtual public consultation on the meat labeling PNS earlier this month after a series of meetings by the technical working group (TWG) on the new standard.
The prospective meat labeling PNS shall apply to both locally-produced and imported meat products in accordance with the national treatment principle of the World Trade Organization, said Karen Kristine A. Roscom, Division Chief, of the Standards Development Division at BAFS.
The meat labeling PNS shall only cover business-to-business transactions or movement of meat products, according to BAFS. This means that the prospective meat labeling PNS will not cover labeling at the retail level.
“This standard applies to the labeling of fresh chilled and fresh frozen meat intended for trade, commerce, and further processing or fabrication,” read the draft PNS as of June 5, a copy of which was obtained by the BusinessMirror.
Under the draft meat labeling PNS, product labels must include the name of the product, net quantity, name and address of slaughterhouse/packer/country of origin, date of packaging/production, and lot identification code, among others.
The Meat Importers and Traders Association (MITA) lauded the BAFS’ efforts to craft a PNS on meat labeling, which the group noted would “contribute” to the “growth” and “modernization” of the country’s meat industry.
“We laud the government regulatory agencies, the academe, the industry stakeholders and other nongovernment organizations in the TWG tasked with establishing a Philippine National Standard on Fresh Chilled and Fresh Frozen Meat–Product Standard-Labeling,” MITA Director Arnel Almira told the BusinessMirror.
“The TWG’s ongoing discussion is a healthy exchange of ideas based on science and internationally accepted standards. MITA is confident that the standard agreed by the TWG will contribute to the growth and modernization of the meat industry,” Almira added.
Long road ahead
The BAFS noted that the establishment of the meat labeling PNS is still a long road ahead. The BAFS has tentatively scheduled its fifth TWG meeting on the working draft of the meat labeling PNS next month followed by a final stakeholder consultation in September.
The BAFS aims to conduct a finalization meeting for the final draft of the meat labeling PNS in October, with possible approval of the document by the Agriculture Secretary in November.
The BAFS emphasized that the meat labeling PNS, despite being approved by the agriculture secretary, shall remain voluntary unless pertinent government agencies issue corresponding orders adopting the new PNS.
“The PNS will remain voluntary even if the DA secretary signs it. What makes it mandatory is the issuance of a regulation in the form of a department circular,” Roscom said.
The issue of labeling is important to the country’s meat industry. It became one of the reasons for supply disruptions last year after the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) ordered strict labeling rules. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/08/11/meat-labeling-rules-seen-affecting-food-supply/)
The various NMIS orders on meat labeling caused panic among foreign suppliers, who could not immediately meet the new rules issued at short notice, forcing them to stop loading shipments bound for the Philippines.
Changes in labeling information, particularly adding specific details, were a logistical problem to exporters who have to create a label specific template for the Philippines, thus incurring additional costs. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/08/04/traders-worry-over-label-rules-for-meat-imports/)
Fortunately, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar intervened and ordered the NMIS to rescind its orders on meat labeling, averting further disruptions on the country’s meat supply. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/11/01/govt-recalls-new-imported-meat-label-rules-amid-furor/