MALAY, Aklan – The quarantine control point at the Caticlan port here intercepted several boxes of processed pork and meat products without complete documents.
Upon inspection on April 23, quarantine officers discovered in a delivery van around P300,000 worth of assorted pork products from Luzon that is currently suffering from African swine fever (ASF) outbreak.
The Chinese brand of chicken and pork products loaded in 28 boxes was set to be delivered to Roxas City in Capiz province.
The confiscated items – almost 730 kilos of recovered pork products – were disposed at the provincial stock farm in Barangay Tina, Makato, Aklan.
The meat products, purchased online, had no certificates from Food and Drug Administration, National Meat Inspection Services and Bureau of Animal Industry.
The transport of products also violated the Executive Order issued by Aklan governor Florencio Miraflores.
Aklan banned the entry of pork products from areas affected by ASF. The province imposed strict quarantine protocols to protect the local hog industry.
The Office of the Provincial Veterinarian again cautioned the public against buying online pork products from Luzon and other ASF-affected areas.
Although ASF contaminated pork has no proven effect on humans, the disease is fatal if contracted by hogs.
Agriculture regional executive director Remelyn Recoter said residents should refrain from purchasing pork products from ASF-affected areas to keep Western Visayas ASF-free./PN
