CEBU CITY, Philippines — Meat inspectors in Cebu City continue to confiscate meat and lechon products sold without proper certificates, warning that unregulated slaughtering and undocumented meat products may pose public health risks.
Officials from the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) said inspections are regularly conducted to ensure that the meat sold in markets and establishments complies with food safety regulations and city ordinances.
Edelito B. Galaura, Meat Control Officer II and supervisor of Meat Control, said authorities seized meat and lechon products at least once a month due to violations involving missing documents and improper processing.
“Ang nahitabo sa lechon is wala siya ka-present og kana na document, which is ma-fall siya under sa hot meat,” Galaura said.
(“The issue with the lechon was that they failed to present the required document, which caused it to fall under hot meat classification.”)
Under Republic Act No. 9296, or the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines, meat products sold for public consumption must undergo proper inspection to ensure they are safe and sourced from accredited slaughterhouses.
