Naga abattoir gains ‘Double A’ standard; safer meat is assured

By Armie Gunay NAGA CITY --- This city’s abattoir is now operating as a ‘Double A (AA)’ slaughterhouse after being recently accredited by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) — an assurance of safe meat handling procedures for the benefit of consumers. Unveiling of a marker that serves as a License to Operate the abattoir according to its Double A standard issued by the NMIS, was conducted inside the slaughterhouse in Barangay Del Rosario here last Monday, February 19. The license authorizes the city abattoir to engage in the slaughter of hogs, cattle, carabao, and goat for domestic trade. Accreditation for ‘AA’ of the NMIS is based mainly on (1) facilities and (2) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) being strictly observed inside the slaughterhouse. In an interview, Mayor Bongat said that wastage is kept to the minimum during the entire butchering procedure inside the abattoir -- from admission of the animal to the slaughter process and until the delivery of meat. The slaughterhouse is secured and monitored with CCTV cameras to ensure that standards and proper hygienic practices are observed and butchers and abattoir personnel will be discourage from pilfering any amount of butchered meat. As meat safety remains on top of the priority concerns of the abattoir, observance of neatness and orderliness inside the abattoir and among the personnel are a must; no part of the butchered meat must be allowed to be carelessly laid out or strewn on the floor. Slaughtered animals must always be hanged until they are readied for delivery outside of the slaughter house. The abattoir also assures that all equipment used in the slaughtering process are made of stainless steel — such that there shall be no incidence of rust or rusting that can cause contamination. To further ensure safe meat condition, an established GMP team, led by Dan Cea, regularly looks into the butchery processes and sees to it that Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are strictly observed. An accredited ‘AA’ slaughterhouse also means that the abattoir only delivers certified butchered meat in the city market and further to towns or provinces outside of the city — a condition that will draw in more livestock owners to choose the Naga City Abattoir for better meat quality and safe meat marketing. The modern accredited abattoir could further bring income to the city, as the Naga City Abattoir — that is estimated to generate an annual income of P19M -- remains to be one of the top four local economic enterprises being managed by the city government that churn out higher incomes. The three other top enterprises are the Bicol Central Station (BCS), Naga City Hospital, and the Market Enterprise and Promotions Office (MEPO) that manages the Naga City People’s Mall. Meanwhile, butchery as a course is being offered at the city-government-run City College of Naga.