Meat seized in Talisay public markets

MANILA, Philippines - At least 84 kilos of imported pork and chicken meat were seized Thursday by a team from the Talisay City Veterinarian from the city's public markets.

The city Veterinary Office through its chief Santiago Hortel had warned last month of a possible raid following reports which indicated that vendors at the Lagtang Public Market were selling imported meat cuts.       Selling imported meat per se is not illegal, it becomes so if the meat, which reportedly comes from Brazil, is not stored in a freezer.

The Department of Agriculture last year issued Administrative Order No. 22 which provides the rules in the handling of frozen and chilled meat and meat products in the market.

Under this order, the imported meat must be transported in a vehicle that has a chamber with a maximum temperature of 4 degrees Celsius.

Last Thursday, the raiding team confiscated 15 kilos of dressed chicken from barangay Tangke's satellite market and another 20 kilos from a small public market in barangay Dumlog.

The vendors of these confiscated products were reportedly failed to show the raiding team documents that would show that their chicken products were inspected by the city's slaughterhouse.

The raiding team also seized at least 50 kilos of imported pork cuts from the Lagtang Public Market.

The city veterinary office has strengthened its watch over illegal selling of imported meat items especially that the Christmas season is coming.