Meat products sans permits sold at local outlets, confiscated

The city’s Meat Market Monitoring Taskforce, Oct. 17, confiscated a total of 74.35 kgs of assorted meat and meat products without pertinent permits and veterinary health certificates being sold at the public market and other satellite markets in the Summer Capital.

Also confiscated were three kgs of cooked dog meat at Kagitingan barangay and immediately  reported these to the Baguio City Police Office’s (BCPO) station 7 for appropriate action.

The confiscations were made during the task force’s inspection and monitoring activity in line with the city’s celebration of ‘Meat Safety Consciousness Week’ slated on October 16 to 20, aimed at protecting the public from food and water-borne diseases including unsanitary, unwholesome, mishandled or adulterated food.

The monitoring and inspection was spearheaded by the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) under Dr. Silardo Bested together with the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS); City Health Services Office’s sanitary division; City Treasury Office’s market division; Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Public Order and Safety Division (POSD).

Bested said the week-long celebration also reminds meat handlers and all stakeholders that the production of clean, wholesome, healthy and sound meat for food is everyone’s concern. 

He added that the CVAO continues to strictly implement rules and regulations to promote food safety and ensure that the meat and meat products sold at the city’s markets are clean and safe for consumption. – Gaby B. Keith