Double-dead meat seized at Balintawak market

More than three tons of double-dead meat were seized from ambulant vendors at the MC Market at Edsa-Balintawak in Quezon City early morning yesterday. The three tons of pork and 63 kilograms of buffalo meat were being sold by around 10 stalls outside the market, according to the National Meat Inspection Service.

Dr. Fernando Lontoc, chief of the regulatory division of the NMIS, said no one among the stall owners were arrested as they scampered after seeing the approaching authorities at around 2 a.m. Had they been arrested, the stall owners could have been charged for violation of the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines and the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

According to Lontoc, the “strike operation” of the NMIS was done after a series of surveillance revealed that most of the ambulant vendors were selling double dead meat.

Lontoc said most of these stall owners only operate during the night until early morning and do not have meat inspection certificates. He said the vendors were not legitimate and were operating outside the market.

After the seizure of the “hot meat,” they were brought to a “rendering plant” where they would undergo heating before disposal, Lontoc said.  — Reinir Padua