Mekeni product samples tested positive for African swine fever
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Animal Industry confirmed Monday that skinless longganisa and hotdog samples from the plant of Mekeni Food Corporation tested positive for African swine fever.
The bureau said that their two validation tests were conducted upon the request of the manufacturer. They also revealed that other samples from the plant, particularly those sourced from the US, Canada and France, tested negative for ASF.
Department of Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said that 63 of 178 licensed meat manufacturing plants were inspected. According to him, the larger plants were inspected first.
"We found them compliant with regulatory standards," he said.
Mekeni Food Corp. on October 26 voluntarily recalled all its pork-based products amid reports that some of them tested positive for ASF.
According to the World Organization for Animal Health, while ASF is contagious to pigs, it has no adverse effects on human health.
“This is to ensure that we mitigate the possibility that our products inadvertently become carriers of ASF,” Mekeni said in their statement.
In early October, the number of hog deaths connected to the fever ballooned to 36,000 as the affliction spread throughout the country.
This is a developing story.
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