CEBU CITY -- The release of a laboratory test result showing fecal bacteria in local meat has revived calls for random market tests and put pressure on the dealer who made the results public.
Cebu City Veterinarian Alice Utlang found out the dealer, who identified himself as Mario Montes in a press conference last Sunday, is not a registered or licensed meat trader in the city. She also learned from her counterpart in Mandaue that they have no records showing Montes as an authorized meat dealer in that city.
Utlang said the man's real name is Leo Cabangangan, but her office also has no records of a meat dealer by that name, which means his meat products can be confiscated.
Cabangangan, for his part, said he is a legitimate imported meat dealer and a registered and licensed trader, aside from having a Certificate of Meat Importation from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS).
But the laboratory test results he showed were "self-serving" and intended to divert public attention away from the real issue, a local meat producers' group said.
The issue, they added, is the meat importers' compliance with the Department of Agriculture (DA) guidelines on the handling of frozen and chilled meat products.
Rolando Tambago, president of the Central Visayas Pork Producers' Cooperative, questioned the test results shown to reporters last Sunday and pointed out that the firm and the food technologist who conducted the test were not even willing to reveal their identities.
He said his group will study the possibility of filing a case against the firm, because the lab test result it showed can have a harmful effect on the local meat industry.
Cebu City Market Administrator Raquel-Bohol Arce assured the public that meat products in Carbon market that have meat inspection certificates are fit for human consumption.
Protection
Arce also questioned the meat samples used in the laboratory test, since out of the 178 legitimate meat traders in Carbon, only one source appeared to have been tested.
Utlang said if the firm had wanted to follow the correct procedure, it should have informed the NMIS and asked for its help in obtaining meat samples to be tested.
"The result should have been coursed through NMIS," Utlang also said.
The Meat Importers and Traders Association also welcomed the plan of NMIS Regional Director Romeo Capa to conduct a regular random test on meat samples from public markets in Metro Cebu.
"This move is laudable because it is for the protection of public health and safety.
Since Cebu is lucky to have a local Department of Science and Technology (DOST) laboratory that is reputed to be one of the best in the country, we suggest that NMIS use the local DOST lab instead of shipping it [the samples] to Manila and exposing the samples to bacterial contamination and decay," said Jimmy Escaño, the association's spokesperson.
The group of meat importers also urged local government units (LGUs), through their local veterinary office, to conduct random tests in the markets and slaughterhouses, whether or not the facilities are NMIS-accredited.
Random tests would help assure consumers that imported and local meat products sold in the markets are safe to eat, they said.
Discovery
Last Sunday, "Montes" showed reporters the laboratory test results, which indicated that local (warm) meat contained Escherichia coli (E. coli) beyond acceptable levels. (E. coli is typically found in the intestinal tract.)
E. coli contamination can cause symptoms like stomach cramps and pain, diarrhea and vomiting.
Members of the Cebu Market Vendors' Development Cooperative questioned the selection of the meat samples and pointed out that the release of the lab test results could be damaging to their business.
Mayor Michael Rama said he was thankful the laboratory test results were made public.
"Can you imagine? If there was no discovery, it could have ended up in a widespread infection out of contamination," Rama said.
He instructed the health and veterinary departments and other stakeholders to address the issue.
Cebu City's Operation Hot Meat has confiscated 703 kilos of imported meat since DA Administrative Order (AO) 22 took effect last Dec. 15.
The order calls for setting up cold-chain systems, particularly in wet markets, to ensure the safety of frozen meat.
Confiscated
Cabangangan revealed earlier that since Operation Hot Meat started, about 200 kilos were confiscated from him.
The meat dealer, however, said he will continue to do business in Cebu and Mandaue, because he is a legitimate meat dealer.
Tambago, of the pork producers' cooperative, said local meat producers can guarantee the public of their products' safety because they strictly follow the DA guidelines and they always monitor the health of the pigs they slaughter.
"We've been warning our fellow pork meat producers not to slaughter sickly pigs for the sake of the public and the industry," he told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.
Meat importers, he added, cannot claim all their products are safe, citing an incident where pork meat in the US and Germany were massively recalled due to contamination.
He said the DA guidelines, which took effect last month, do not discriminate against meat importers because local meat producers are also required to comply with them.
Questionable
In a previous interview, he said vendors in some wet markets, despite the guidelines, continue their old practices, with some vendors at the Mandaue Public Market allegedly using Zonrox to disinfect their unsold meat.
Under AO 22, the guidelines require, among others, the accreditation and licensing of importers of frozen meat by the NMIS, as well as registration with the local government units.
Frozen meat is also required to be sold in its original packaging, and may be repacked only by an NMIS-accredited packing establishment.
Tambago said frozen meat is safe when they are stored in freezers, but once they thaw, contamination begins.
He said their group is not against meat importation, since some people depend on it for livelihood, but meat importers should follow the guidelines for the sake of the consumers.
Dr. Pilar Romero, chief of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries public health division, promised to help correct any faulty practices of meat vendors. (EOB/RSB/ETB/Sun.Star Cebu)
