Consumers turn to alternative meat products amid ASF outbreak

Consumers have replaced pork in their diets with alternative meats amid reports that some processed meat products tested positive for African swine fever (ASF), according to a Sunday report by Bernadette Reyes on 24 Oras Weekend.

In Calumpit, Bulacan, some shoppers have opted for lobster balls and crabsticks despite the heftier price tag.

In the Muñoz Market, longganisa and tocino cost P190 and P200 per kilo, respectively, while both crabsticks and lobster balls cost P400 per kilo.

Meanwhile, in San Fernando, Pampanga, sales of tocinong kalabaw have almost doubled since the ASF outbreak.

The meat product now sells for up to P300 per kilo.

Processed meat vendors said they had no plans to shut down their stalls amid the ASF scare and assured consumers that their products underwent the proper inspections.

The Department of Health has repeatedly advised the public that ASF had no adverse effects on human health. — Julia Mari Ornedo/DVM, GMA News