Tainted meat, banned canned goods seized in Legazpi City

LEGAZPI CITY — About 78 kilos of meat and more than a thousand canned goods suspected to be contaminated with African Swine Fever, was confiscated by the veterinary office here and the National Meat Inspection Service in Bicol on Tuesday.

“The operation was done (to) protect swine industry from the havoc of African Swine Fever and to put the health of meat-consuming public safe from zoonotic diseases brought by unhealthy, unhygienic meat sold to the public,” Emmanuel Estipona, head of the Legazpi Veterinary office, said in a report Wednesday.

Ferdinand Samar, head of the Bicol Communicators and Environmental Rescue Group, said the unsafe meat were recovered from the Albay District Market and the Legazpi City Public Market.

Several incandescent bulbs were also confiscated due to violation of the Consumers Act.

“Most of the vendors used unauthorized bulbs to mislead the customers of the color of the meat,” he said.

A total of 1,200 cans Ma Ling, were also confiscated in a stock room in the city.

The Food and Drug Administration issued a temporary ban on the importation, distribution, and sale of processed pork meat products, including Ma Ling, from countries believed to be affected by the African swine fever virus. (Editor: Leti Boniol)