FDA OKs redistribution of Mekeni’s pork-based products

MANILA, Philippines — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed the redistribution of Mekeni Food Corporation’s pork-based products which tested negative for the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus.

Test results from SGS Philippines, Inc. showed that the food processor’s raw meat products and pork-based products tested negative for the ASF virus, the FDA said.

“Upon due evaluation of the submitted documents and as agreed during our meeting, please be advised that this Office allows the redistribution of these processed pork meat products that tested negative for ASF,” Usec. Rolando Enrique Domingo said in a letter to Mekeni.

“As a food business operator, it is your responsibility to be proactive in monitoring your products’ compliance to existing regulations as well as to ensure that appropriate measures and controls are in place to prevent the possible use of contaminated raw materials,” Domingo added.

Mekeni sought FDA clearance to redistribute its products in November after specific batches of the firm’s Picnic Red Classic Hotdog 500g and Skinless Longaniza 200g tested positive for DNA traces of ASF.

READ: Mekeni Food Corp. recalls pork products amid ASF scare

Prior to this, Mekeni voluntarily withdrew all its pork-based products while waiting for the official laboratory results from SGS and the Bureau of Animal Industry.READ: Mekeni Food Corp. recalls pork products amid ASF scare.

“During that difficult time, even if we knew that the business would be greatly affected, we chose to uphold our core values and put the welfare of the general public above all else,” Mekeni President Prudencio Garcia said in a statement.On top of their strict compliance with all government regulations and certifications, Garcia said they had committed that 100 percent of its raw meats sourced in the Philippines and abroad would undergo thorough testing for ASF.

Edited by MUF