Alert raised on contaminated meat sold online

The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) under the Department of Agriculture has released guidelines for consumers who buy their meat online following reports of contaminated meat being sold through digital platforms.

“Without physical access to the items being sold, consumers buying meat online have no way of knowing its quality and rely mainly on textual description and images provided by the seller,” NMIS said in its advisory.

“In buying highly perishable food like meat, any inaccurate, false, or exaggerated presentation of facts may cause potential food safety hazards,” it added.

As such, NMIS advised consumers to purchase meat from licensed suppliers only—which can be checked in the agency’s website—and seek information on the details of the delivery.

“Bear in mind that meat must be kept in a cooler or insulated container to keep its freshness and avoid spoilage. Chilled meat is cold to the touch, while frozen meat must be rock solid. In the case of imported meat, its frozen state must be maintained at all times until such time that it will be cooked,” the advisory said.

It also advised the public to seek information on the travel time from the physical store up to their homes. NMIS said the delivery time must not exceed two hours to avoid contamination.

Moreover, consumers should also check the physical properties of the meat upon delivery. Fresh meat should not have any unusual odor and unusual color. It should also be firm to the touch when thawed.

The online shopping boom, which was driven by the coronavirus pandemic, also led the agency to intensify its monitoring of illegal traders online.

It received reports of frozen pigeons from China being sold through online messaging apps, and imported chickens that were left to thaw out in the open—considered a handling violation under the Food Safety Act.