SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Food manufacturers in areas affected by the African swine fever (ASF) particularly in Luzon are urging the Antique Provincial Veterinary (ProVet) office to allow their virus-safe products into the province.
“The companies claimed they got their pork ingredient from ASF-free areas, thus, these are safe,” said Dr. Rafael Marco Ardamil, Antique ProVet Public Health Division head.
He said one manufacturing company even sent the ProVet a formal letter of request while another company relayed a similar request through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Antique provincial office.
Unilever Philippines Inc., through its distributor Teen Sales and Promotions Inc. Operations Manager Ian Gonzales, also sent a letter to ProVet last month.
The other one ess Nissin Philippines that expressed concern through DTI, Ardamil added.
ProVet will be forwarding the requests to the Antique Provincial Board to review its provincial ordinance to retain the province as ASF-free.
“Antique remains ASF-free because of the provincial ordinance banning pork and pork products from ASF-hit areas,” said Ardamil.
The ordinance had led to several confiscation of pork-based food products from Luzon and other affected areas to include cans of sausage that were found by the Provincial Task Force on ASF led by the ProVet.
“Only this December, we were able to have pork-based products confiscated from passengers who arrived at the Antique Airport from Manila while the other one from a grocery store,” he said.
He said the confiscated products, when submitted for laboratory examination at the Department of Agriculture Regional Office 6 (Western Visayas) laboratory, were all found to be negative of ASF. (PNA)
