DA intercepts 2 containers with banned meat products from China

The Department of Agriculture on Saturday said they had confiscated two containers filled with pork and other meat products from China, a country affected by the African Swine Fever (ASF). 

During a press conference in Makati City, Agriculture Secretary William Dar revelaed that the containers were seized at the Port of Manila.

The cargo manifest declared the two refrigerated containers held tomato paste and vermicelli.

But upon inspection, dimsum, dumplings, Peking duck, fresh frozen duck deserts, pork meat and pork products, marinated chicken wings, minced vegetables with meat, egg noodles, breaded chicken fillet, fresh frozen squid rings, and frozen scallops were found.

Thus, according to BOC regulations, the shipments were “misdeclared” goods.

The shipments were intercepted by the DA’s anti-smuggling unit, Compliance and Regulatory Enforcement for Security and Trade (CREST) Office, in tandem with the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

“A report from our anti-smuggling team leader, retired police general Jonathan Ablang, said the apprehended items were stuffed in reefer containers with temperature setting at minus 18 degrees Celsius, obviously indicating that the goods kept therein are not what they were declared to be," said Dar.

Authorities were still determining the value and volume of the intercepted goods.

Since last year, the DA had banned the importation, distribution, and sale of processed pork products from countries and regions affected by ASF.

Among these countries were China, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Hungary, North Korea, Laos, Latvia, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Ukraine, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Germany.

Dar reiterated that all pork products from these countries would be confiscated by DA-Bureau of Animal Industry Veterinary Quarantine Officers and Inspectors.

President Rodrigo Duterte directed all government agencies, bureaus, agencies under the DA to manage, control, and contain the spread of ASF in the country. — John Ted Cordero/DVM, GMA News