DVMF removes banned Maling products from Cebu City supermarket shelves

Post abattoir inspectors from Cebu City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) inspect supermarkets to discourage the sale of Maling canned meat products. /DVMF photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines–Post abattoir inspectors from the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) have started to remove the banned Maling meat products from supermarket shelves in the city.

Dr. Alice Utlang, Cebu City Veterinarian, said they conducted inspections in various supermarkets this morning, May 29, to comply with the advisories issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the ban on meat products manufactured starting August 18, 2018 and coming from countries with cases of the African swine fever.

Utlang said they started their inspection of supermarkets last year.

“At the time, the DVMF personnel did not find any canned meat product manufactured on and after said date so we did not request the supermarkets to withdraw Maling meat products from the shelves,” she told CDN Digital.

But when they conducted another round of inspection on Wednesday, they found Maling canned meat products made on specified dates which prompted DVMF personnel, assisted by supermarket employees, to take down the displayed products, Utlang said.

“We’re happy that the supermarket owners and supervisors cooperated with us,” she added.

Utlang clarified that other imported meat products being sold at the city’s supermarkets have remained FDA-compliant.

As far as raw imported meat is concerned, the DVMF and National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) have been conducting inspections on importers’ cold storage to ensure that the imported pork did not come from the countries covered by the ban, she told CDN Digital.

DVMF inspectors went around the different supermarkets in Cebu City today, May 29. / DVMF photo

According to Utlang, no vaccine has been developed for the ASF virus that has been known to survive even if the infected meat is placed in cold storage.

The country’s P200-billion hog industry could be crippled if the ASF virus enters the Philippines.

She urged meat processors to use local meat and for consumers to patronize meat products such as chorizo and others processed by those registered with DVMF.

In Cebu City, there are DVMF-registered processors, mostly operated by cooperatives in Carbon market and other wet markets in Taboan, Banawa and Pardo.

The DVMF conducts daily inspections on these processing facilities, Utlang said./dcb