MANDAUE CITY, Cebu—The Mandaue City Veterinary Office (MCVO) confiscated on Wednesday, October 28, 2020, eight tons of chicken meat that was supposedly meant for disposal but was allegedly planned to be recycled.
The ‘hot’ chicken meat was seized during a joint operation by the MCVO and Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries of Cebu City with the help of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) in an establishment in barangay Subangdaku. It was found inside a refrigerated van plugged to the establishment.
According to Dr. Karen Merilles, head of the MCVO, they received a report that the meat was due for rendering, which meant it was supposed to be disposed since it was not safe for consumption.
“Nangita man siya’g storage van, mao nang alleged nga i-recycle,” she said.
(They were looking for a storage van to put the meat on and that’s why it was alleged that they were going to recycle them.)
Read: Mandaue City Veterinary Office confiscates over 800 kilos of ‘hot’ chicken meat
The Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries of Cebu City received the report about the meat in question and then called the MCVO since the area where the storage van was is under the MCVO’s jurisdiction.
The confiscated spoiled meat were marinated chicken meat with an estimated value of P200,000, according to Merilles. The chicken meat is believed to be shipped from Manila.
Merilles said they will make an incident report that will be endorsed to the national agencies such as the NMIS, Food and Drug Administration, and Department of Agriculture for further investigation.
All seized meat will be disposed on Friday, October 30.
/bmjo