20 kg of pork seized in Legazpi City’s villages

LEGAZPI CITY Feb.28 – Members of the enforcement team (City Veterinary Office,  Bicol Communicators and Environmental Rescue Group (BCERG) and Kabalikat Civicom 155 Legazpi-Zion Chapter confiscated some 20 kilos of  pork “hot meat” from meat dealers in two barangays during the surprise inspection as the city tightens its measures to prevent the entry African Swine Fever in the city yesterday (Feb 27).

 “The pork meat does not have proper documentation. It came, apparently, from Barangay Arimbay and Buyuan,” said City Veterinarian Dr. Manny Estipona.

Hot meat are those from animals butchered outside of a legal slaughter house and does not undergo the protocol for safety before selling for public consumption.

Earlier, an executive order was issued by Legazpi City Mayor Noel E. Rosal directing the city veterinary office to closely monitor all live pigs before and after entering the city’s slaughter house  to ensure these are ASF-virus free  and fit for human consumption.

The seized pork products were subjected to proper disposition. Estipona added that ASF is not zoonotic or infectious and does not pose any risk to humans, the danger is when food that contains hog meat infected with the virus is not properly disposed of.

Once this happens, the ASF virus can infect swine herds and people who are breeding pigs will be the most affected. (NMmdl)