Co-mingling violation! PH BANS GERMAN PORK

The Department of Agriculture (DA) today issued an order which bans the entry of pork and pork products from Germany.

The DA action was a result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau Animal Industry (BAI) following the confiscation of a shipment of pork supposedly coming from Germany which included 250 kilos of pork from Poland.

The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) and the Bureau of Animal Industry conducted the joint investigation after the Cebu City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries, headed by Dr Alice Utlang, reported the incident to the national agencies.

The shipment was intercepted on june 27, 2019 at 3am by LGU Cebu City, DVMF inspectors and was disposed through incineration.

Poland is one of the 18 countries with reported outbreak of the African Swine Fever, a deadly hog disease which has no vaccine or cure.

Germany is not included in the list but it is contiguous with Poland.

The investigation showed that a shipment of pork from Germany was intercepted by Cebu Quarantine Officers on June 27 after it was discovered that the shipment included 25 boxes of pork from Poland.

The German company, ProFood, admitted that it imported pork from Poland and part of the importation was shipped to the Philippines.

BAI Director Dr. Ronnie Domingo said this was a serious violation which warranted the banning of all pork shipments from Germany.

This brings to 19 the total number of countries which are not allowed to ship pork and pork products to the Philippines.