Public warned on health risks in imported meat

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines  — Unsafe handling of imported meat from Canada and the United States could cost the consumers' health, a group of hog raisers in the region has warned recently.

Rolando Tambago, president of the Central Visayas Pork Producers' Cooperative (CVPPC), explained that meat transported inside a freezer set at extremely low temperature from Canada and the US for a period of 18 months needs to be stored in a freezer of the same temperature when they arrive the markets in the Philippines.

Tambago said a sudden change of temperature would hasten the growth of bacteria that decompose the meat. He said only supermarkets and some modern public markets have the freezing facility capable of the required storage setting.

Since most public markets, especially in towns, are not equipped with modern freezing machines to stunt the growth of bacteria, there is a practice of vendors to treat the pork with sodium hypochlorite known commercially as Clorox which is used as household bleach and for disinfection, Tambago said.

AGHAM party-list Rep. Angelo Palmones, for his part, earlier disclosed to Bohol media that a team from Congress currently pursues a proactive investigation on the proliferation of imported meat in local markets to protect the consumers from unsafe handling of the stock.

Palmones said they are in Davao this week to check on this concern, their next stop after Cebu last week. Palmones and Tambago called on the people to be vigilant on the matter and resist the temporary financial relief of lower selling price of imported meat which cannot compensate the degree of health risk that might result.

Upon receiving the information from Palmones, Governor Edgar Chatto immediately directed Provincial Agriculturist Liza Quirog, Provincial Veterinarian Stella Marie Lapiz, and the town mayors, to be on alert against the possible entry of imported meat in the province.

Marlito Uy of the Alturas Group of Companies, for his part, assured Palmones they will block the entry of imported meat to their establishments-Plaza Marcela, Alturas Supermarket and the Island City Mall. Palmones and Tambago both raised concern on the consumer's tendency to prefer imported pork sold at lower prices than those raised and slaughtered here.

On the other hand, the importation of meat also take toll on the income of local hog raisers. Tambago said that around 1.3 million Filipino families are engaged in hog-raising at present. In Bohol alone, the latest survey showed 13,000 families have been on this business. The hog-raisers supply around 29 percent of the country's meat requirement.

Tambago and Palmones advised the consumers to watch out for some tricky vendors who might have mixed their stock with imported meat. In some instances, they process them into "chorizo" and "longanisa", he said. (FREEMAN)