MANILA – A senator on Thursday urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to identify the brands of processed meat products allegedly tested positive for African swine fever (ASF) and immediately remove them from the market.
Senator Francis Pangilinan made the call following a news report that samples taken from hotdog, longganisa, and tocino imported by a Manila-based company tested positive for ASF virus.
“Ito ang mag-aalis sa takot ng publiko na kumalat ang mga produktong ito at sa posibilidad na makain ito (This will allay fears of the public on the spread of these products and on the possibility of consumption),” Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan said authorities must implement stricter checks on imported meat products, noting that the incident of ASF-infected products slipping past the country’s borders should serve as a lesson.
“Walang saysay ang ginagawang pagpatay sa mga baboy natin kung meron namang ASF na makakapasok sa ating bayan at mapupunta sa ating mga hapag-kainan (Local efforts to stop the spread of the ASF such as culling of pigs would be futile if the ASF, in another form, would easily get in the country and land on our dinner table),” Pangilinan said.
The senator stressed the need for a consolidated effort to combat the disease, which is now present in seven areas in Luzon -- Cavite, Quezon City, Pangasinan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, and Rizal -- killing over 62,000 hogs so far.
“Together with the private sector, DA, DTI, Department of Health through the Food and Drug Administration, and the Bureau of Customs, should play their part in stopping this animal disease that is affecting our everyday food, our nutrition, and our health,” he said. (PNA)
