The Department of Agriculture (DA) has partially lifted the ban on the importation of poultry products from Brazil.
In a memorandum order signed by DA Secretary William Dar yesterday, mechanically deboned meat (MDM) of poultry from Brazil will now be allowed entry as long as these are sourced from foreign meat establishments (FMEs) with no cases of the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Dar said Brazil has submitted documentary requirements that ensure the implementation of plans for the prevention, infection control and occupational safety and health of workers in FMEs in relation to the pandemic.
Dar said shipments should be accompanied by veterinary health certificates that attest the meat was handled and processed in facilities with functional food safety management system and where stringent hygiene and sanitation measures are practised.
The order also mandates the placement of safe handling labels on top of other labelling requirements.
The Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI) welcomed the DA order saying this will help ensure stable supply and prices of processed meats for the rest of the year.
PAMPI president Felix Tiukinhoy Jr. said the industry “can now move forward and enter into term contracts with our Brazilian suppliers to ensure stability and cost efficiency of our MDM raw material used in the production of processed meats.”
But United Broiler Raisers Association president, Elias Jose Inciong said the order should have “some technical basis” and that “the risk assessment for COVID-19 from Brazil is correct.”
The Embassy of Brazil last week said the Philippine government’s temporary ban on poultry imports did not follow necessary and mandatory principles from the World Trade Organization’s agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary measures.
