NMIS puts food firm under surveillance vs. ASF threat

By Edwin Iyo
Correspondent.

Virginia Food in Cebu City is now under surveillance after imported meat from Poland and Belgium, two of the countries affected with African Swine Fever (ASF) were confiscated during the inspection by the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) office last month, official said Tuesday.

National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) director Ernesto Gonzales in a visit in Talisayan, Misamis Oriental said the surveillance was part of their preventive measures to adopt to mitigate the risk of ASF spread in pig farming systems nationwide.

Gingoog City vice Mayor Peter M. Unabia invited Gonzales for the inspection of the Gingoog city’s slaughter building and to discuss organic farming.

“Poland and Belgium are among of the countries positive of the ASF virus,” said Gonzales adding that the contaminated meat from the said countries were found inserted in the container which loaded of meat from Germany to supply the biggest food processing in Cebu City.

Report said there was frozen meat pork from Poland and Belgium was seized last June in Cebu City.

“Huwag muna tayong  bumili ng “chorizo” galing  Cebu,” said Gonzales as their office is now in close monitoring to all public markets in Cebu City.

Gonzales said the pork fat meat is usually used for the making of “chorizo” and other food products.

However, Gonzales said that the country still safe from the said ASF virus as even NMIS assured the public that their office is strengthening their monitoring operation to avoid spreading the said virus nationwide.

Meanwhile, Director Gonsalez said that canned goods processed in the country still safe.

He said that processing companies in the country are regulated to use a minimum of 70 degree Celsius boiling points.