Chicken imports from Brazil banned

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has temporarily banned the importation of poultry meat from Brazil after China found the new coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, in chicken wings imported from the South American country.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a memorandum order that under the Food Safety Act, the DA may impose precautionary measures “in specific circumstances when available relevant information … is insufficient to show that a certain type of food or food product does not pose a risk to consumer health.”

According to the World Health Organization, there are over 3 million COVID-19 confirmed cases in Brazil with a significant number of cases among workers in meat establishments.

Aside from the chicken wings, Chinese authorities also found the virus in three packaging samples of imported frozen seafood in two distant cities.

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For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

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