Meat seizures in Pasay City top P5 million
Philippine authorities seized over P5 million worth of undocumented imported meat in Pasay City, citing health risks and illegal trade practices. The Department of Agriculture warned consumers against purchasing unaccredited products as holiday demand increases.
Why it matters
Illegal food imports pose significant public health risks and undermine regulated agricultural markets.
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) seized P5.19 million worth of undocumented imported meat in Pasay City last month as holiday demand picks up.
The confiscated goods amounted to 11,507.42 kilogram (kg), recovered on Sept. 22-23 by the NBI and assisted by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) and the DA’s Inspectorate and Enforcement unit. Two Chinese nationals were arrested.
NMIS Officer-in-Charge and Executive Director Mr. Fernando N. Lontoc said undocumented meat sells for less because it skips the costs incurred by legitimate sellers.
“Since it doesn’t go through the process, it’s cheaper than (regular products). The price of pork will go down even further because of products like that which don’t go through the process,” he said, noting fees charged by accredited facilities.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in