‘Hot meat’ seized in Albay

GUINOBATAN, Albay—Authorities seized 111.5 kilos of carabao meat beef in Guinobatan, Albay, early Wednesday morning.

The “carabeef” was being displayed and sold at a public market in Barangay Centro Poblacion in Guinobatan when the meat inspectors came at 7 a.m.

Justino Olaguer, meat inspector, told the Inquirer that a text message from a concerned citizen tipped them off about the “hot meat.”

Upon checking the carabeef, they found out it was being sold illegally because it had no seal to show it was butchered in an authorized or government licensed slaughterhouse.

The slaughtering of carabaos or water buffalo is also regulated by law because of the dwindling number of carabaos in the country

Police said the meat seller, who was not identified, could be charged with a criminal offense under Republic Act 10536 or the National Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines.

Pork in the public market in Albay currently sells at P200 per kilo while carabeef, which is scarce, could sell for around the same price or a bit higher.

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