DILG to LGUs: Lift ban on processed meat products

MANILA, Philippines — Local government units (LGUs) must immediately lift the ban they have imposed on pork products to prevent an “unwanted disruption” of trade and commerce in the country, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Wednesday.

Since the national government has already imposed measures to contain the spread of African swine fever (ASF), LGUs must now allow the distribution and sale of processed pork products in their areas under certain conditions, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) official said.

ASF is a highly contagious viral disease that causes death among pigs, warthogs and boars due to high fever, loss of appetite as well as hemorrhages in the skin and internal organs.

In a circular to governors, city and town mayors, and village chiefs, Año said processed meat products that do not have pork as raw material should be allowed unrestricted movement and distribution in all provinces.

These include corned beef, beef hotdogs, chicken nuggets, chicken hotdogs and similar items.

Showing LGU quarantine officials the certificate of product registration issued by the Food and Drug Administration should suffice to allow movement and distribution of the processed meat products,  Año said in a statement.

Under Department of Agriculture guidelines, meat products containing pork should be heat-treated or fully cooked according to internationally accepted standards adopted by the Philippine Association of Meat Processors.

Canned meat products must be cooked at 116 degrees Celsius for at least 60 minutes, while hotdogs, hams and bacon should be processed, smoked or cooked to a core temperature of at least 72 degrees centigrade for over one hour.

Smoked or cooked pork sausages should be cooked at the same temperature for at least 40 minutes.