QUALITY MEAT. The Lucena City Slaughterhouse in Barangay Kanlurang Mayao passed the 'AA' category test of the National Meat Inspection Service for its sanitary practices resulting in quality meat products. This allows the facility to distribute meat nationwide. (Photo courtesy of the Lucena City Slaughterhouse Office)
LUCENA CITY – The management of the Lucena City Slaughterhouse is confident of not only acquiring a renewal of its "AA" certification but even exceeding its passing grade from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) for sanitary practices.
"When we renew our AA certification after May, we're counting to break our past result. For a slaughterhouse to acquire an AA, we have to get at least 70 percent of the requirements of the NMIS. We managed to get 84 percent so I'm batting on above 85 percent next renewal tests," slaughterhouse chief Marianne Yap told the Philippine News Agency in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon.
The abattoir acquired an "AA" certification from the NMIS late last year but it will expire after six months.
Yap said this is the initial duration of the certification, subject to renewal which then will have one-year validity.
"Having a double A or AA certification means we are now authorized to distribute meat nationwide, not only locally. This is an opportunity for local meat vendors to widen their market prospects," she noted.
Yap said they will implement strict inspection of the live swine and cattle (cows and carabaos) that will be slaughtered to ensure the safety of the consumers.
"We have two types of inspection -- the ante-mortem where we inspect the live animals before they are slaughtered and after they are slaughtered," she noted.
If a carcass appears to be unsanitary after being slaughtered, it will immediately be turned over to a condemnation team for proper disposal, she added.
Currently, the slaughterhouse only caters to meat vendors from the city but Yap said they will soon accept meat vendors from neighboring towns.
The slaughterhouse operates 24 hours, accepting live animals from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and slaughters them at nighttime.
In December last year, the facility recorded 118 swine, three cows and 10 carabaos slaughtered per day. (PNA)
