Trader charged for fake canned meat

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed charges yesterday against a Filipino-Chinese national for allegedly distributing an estimated P2 million worth of imitation canned luncheon meat, believed to contain cat and rat meat.

Head Agent Roland Argabioso, of the NBI-Field Operations Division (FOD), said they charged Carmelo Sy of violating Section 11 of Republic Act 3720, otherwise known as the Food, Drugs and Devices and Cosmetics Act.

The case was filed before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office. In a recent search and seizure operation conducted by the NBI-FOD, law enforcers allegedly found 48,000 cans of luncheon meat inside 2,000 boxes at a warehouse located on Juan Luna street in Tondo, Manila. Each box reportedly contained 24 cans.

The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) said it did not authorize Sy to engage in the distribution, importation, selling, manufacturing, repacking, and, or trading of food or drug products.When asked if the luncheon meat contained cat and rat meat, Argabioso said they are still trying to confirm if this is true and if the luncheon meat is fit for consumption. The National Meat and Inspection Service (NMIS) earlier said that the confiscated luncheon meat had "negative" pork DNA.

The imitation luncheon meat reportedly also used deceptive labels. The "Ma-Zing" label was reportedly a spin off from the original brand "MaLing" and its font size was smaller than the original. In the fake product, the picture of the luncheon meat also had a reddish color and that it had no registered distributor.

An original MaLing can costs around P45, while the imitation is sold at P32. The NBI believes that the products were shipped from China.

On March 20, Manila City Regional Trial Court Branch 36 Judge Emma Young issued a search warrant to allow law enforcers to search Sy’s warehouse. Operatives of the NBI’s FOD and Anti-Terrorism Division raided the warehouses. Sy was not present during the raid. – With Theo Agcaoili