QUEZON CITY July 6 (PIA) -- The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) advised consumers to buy meat from the local shops as it is safer since they can see and inspect the actual product that they are buying.
The NMIS in its advisory cautioned consumers from buying meat in online shops for potential food and safety hazard.
“Buying meat online poses higher risks to human safety, especially since the consumer does not know its quality and relies mainly on textual description and images provided by the seller,” NMIS said in its advisory.
Meanwhile, in a separate advisory, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) asks the public to “remain alert with contaminated meat products especially with the emergence of a new strain of swine flu virus,” after seizing more than 700kgs of meat and meat products at the NAIA Terminal yesterday.
To help consumers lower the said risks, the NMIS further advised the public to:
1. Make sure you are buying from licensed meat supplier/entities;
2. Ask the seller to provide information about the source meat being sold, and if this a licensed business entity. Any information can be verified with the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) website: www.nmis.gov.ph;
3. Bear in mind that meat must be kept in a cooler or insulated container to keep its freshness and avoid spoilage. Chilled meat is cold to the touch, while frozen meat must be rock solid. In case of imported meat, its frozen state must be maintained at all times, until such time that it will be cooked.
4. Seek information on the length of delivery time from the physical store up to your home. Length of travel must not exceed two hours to maintain the freshness of meat.
5. Consider the physical properties of meat:
- no unusual odor
- no unusual color like greenish or red spots
- firm to the touch when thawed
6. Do not buy imported meat without refrigeration, or those which are being sold where the meat are outside coolers/refrigerators.
For concerns or other inquiries about meat safety, interested parties may call NMIS at (02) 892479870 or 0966-2162322 or email at nmis@nmis.gov.ph. (nmis/ pia-idpd/tnn)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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