ASF-tainted meat found in 2 QC supermarkets

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) intensified campaign against the spread of African swine fever (ASF), two supermarkets in Quezon City were found to be selling meat with traces of the hog disease.

“The disease is now reaching grocery stores and this is terrifying because there is no meat sold in supermarkets without the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) certification,” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said in an interview, adding that the freezers of the supermarkets concerned had been padlocked and their tainted products disposed.

She identified one of the supermarkets as SM Cherry Supermarket, while the other was located on Doña Carmen Avenue, Commonwealth.

The DA had previously required all meat vendors to display their meat certificates on their stalls to ensure the safety of their products.

But Steven Cua, president of the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarket Association, said it was difficult for supermarket owners to determine if the pork had the NMIS certificate, as these were delivered to them already packed.