CEBU CITY – Authorities burned Friday close to 100 kilos of imported meat products as part of the government’s campaign to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the country.
Personnel of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) led the burning of the confiscated meat products in an open area at the back of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
Last Thursday, 26 boxes of frozen pork – 260 kilos from Poland and 370 kilos from Belgium – were also burned.
The seized meat products that were burned yesterday came from China, Germany, and Korea.
According to the certificate of disposal issued by Veterinary QuaratineServbice, the bulk of the meat products came from China that included more than 50 kilos of beef and pork products.
“It is the fifth time this year that we have burned confiscated meat products. The shipment was seized by the Bureau of Customs and were turned over to us,” Danny Greg Maribojoc, veterinarian III of BAI.
The burned meat products were part of the shipments that were confiscated in the last two months.
Maribojoc added that most of the seized meat products came from China, Korea, and European countries.
The government has banned the importation of meat products from ASF-hit countries.
“The confiscation is done in cooperation with the BOC and National Veterinary Quarantine Service to prevent ASF and other diseases from entering into our country,” Maribojoc said.
Maribojoc said measures have been tightened not just airports but also in international sea ports to prevent the entry of contaminated meat products. (Calvin D. Cordova)
