DAVAO CITY – The National Meat Inspection Service in Davao Region (NMIS-11) has confiscated and destroyed 4,816.03 kilograms of illegal and uninspected local and imported meat products as of September this year as part of its intensified crackdown on non-compliant food establishments.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Dr. Lailanie Rose Rico, NMIS-11 regional technical director, said the seized meat products failed to meet national food safety standards, with some imported products lacking the required documentation and sanitary clearances.
“Spoiled products were displayed in stalls, which should be prohibited because these pose health risks to consumers,” Rico said, explaining one of the common reasons for the condemnation of meat products.
NMIS-11 data showed that the agency conducted 189 routine field activities during the period, including 113 monitoring inspections and 76 surveillance operations. It also carried out 26 high-impact strike operations targeting unauthorized meat processing, storage, and retail establishments.
To prevent unsafe products from reaching consumers, all confiscated local and imported meat products were officially condemned and destroyed, Rico said.
Records indicated significant increases in seized products in July and September, with confiscated volumes reaching 1,808.69 kilograms and 2,211 kilograms, respectively.
Rico attributed the surge to major operations that uncovered illegal carabeef and beef carcasses.
Aside from product seizures, NMIS-11 monitoring teams issued 98 Notices of Violation (NOVs) against non-compliant meat vendors, cold storage operators, and commercial establishments.
Rico also urged consumers to buy meat only from accredited slaughterhouses and licensed retailers that carry valid Meat Inspection Certificates (MICs) to help ensure food safety and support agricultural biosecurity efforts. (Che Palicte/PNA)
