The Department of Agriculture (DA) has warned the public against buying smuggled onions after samples collected last week from the Paco Public Market in Manila tested positive for E. coli.
“This is a food safety issue and a clear threat to public health… We will order the confiscation of those onions as required under the Food Safety Act of 2013,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement on Wednesday.
Some E. coli can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis and other illnesses.
Onions from other countries are often noticeably larger than locally grown onions, the DA said.
The DA has been warning the public there are no active import permits for onions at the moment.
Tiu Laurel has instructed the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and other
DA units monitoring public markets to be on alert for suspected smuggled onions and to immediately submit any samples for testing.
Last week, the DA chief sought the assistance of the Philippine National Police to help gather intelligence and apprehend onion smugglers.
Gerald Glenn Panganiban, BPI director, said he has formally informed the Manila City government about the test results from the Paco market samples, which indicated possible fecal contamination and poor sanitation in the handling and processing of the onions.
“In order to protect the public and consumers from food-borne illnesses and unsanitary products, we recommend the confiscation of the said commodities,” Panganiban stated in his letter to the Manila City government.
Prior to this discovery, a separate shipment of 25 metric tons of red onions was also intercepted by the BPI and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Mindanao International Container Terminal in Misamis Oriental.
The DA said the smuggled red onions will also be tested for contaminants including heavy metals, pesticide residues, and harmful bacteria.
If the onions are found safe for consumption, the DA will request the BOC to turn them over for government redistribution to prevent wastage, Tiu Laurel said.
Based on the DA’s monitoring of public markets in the National Capital Region on Monday, June 23, the price of local red onion was at P100 to P170 per kg while local white onion was at P70 to P150 per kg.
