Legazpi veterinary office conducts surprise inspection for ASF contaminated products

LEGAZPI CITY --- Some 1,508 pork canned products being sold in supermarkets and groceries here were confiscated on Monday afternoon after they were found to be tampered and banned, the City Veterinary Office (CVO) said on Tuesday.

Dr. Emmanuel Estipona, CVO chief, said in unannounced inspection by members of a Task Force Avian Swine Flu (ASF) that 2 big supermarkets and a local distributor were found to have displayed, delivered and sold canned pork processed products from Vietnam.

Estipona, in a phone interview, said that the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has recently banned canned pork processed from Vietnam due to ASF contamination.

During the surprise inspection, a supermarket was found out to be selling 52 imported luncheon meat product from Vietnam with tampered label while 1,456 canned products of luncheon meat and jamonilla products displayed in other stores were put on hold order pending the submission of the required traceability documents, Estipona said.

Estipona said "we are closely checking that no acts such as misrepresentation and mislabeling of processed meat will be allowed as we strictly doing our task to protect our consumers."

A local distributor of canned products was also put under investigation after it was suspected to be delivering and selling canned pork meat products from Vietnam.

FDA has issued an advisory that processed pork products from Vietnam were mislabeled and tampered to conceal their importation and distribution.