Those processed pork products that came from countries suspected to be affected by African Swine Fever (ASF) virus were ordered to be recalled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In its order dated May 27, Food-Drug Regulation Officers and Regulatory Enforcement Unit officers were ordered to “seize all imported pork meat products for distribution, offered for sale, transfer, and/or for donation which are found during the conduct of their continuous monitoring.”
“Food business operators importing, distributing, offering for sale and/or donating these banned products shall be prosecuted for violation of the FDA Act of 2009, the Food Safety Act of 2013, and other relevant laws, rules and regulation on food safety,” the order read.
In its separate advisory addressing the general public, the FDA reiterated its “temporary ban” on the importation, distribution, and sale of all processed pork meat products from countries suspected to be ASF-affected such as China, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Zambia, South Africa, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Mongolia, Moldova, and Belgium.
“The public is advised to exercise extreme caution in purchasing and consuming processed pork meat products and is advised to only consume processed pork meat products which are sourced from countries other than the above listed countries suspected,” it read.
Among those included in the temporary ban on processed pork meat products is one of Filipinos’ favorite meatloaf brand from China, Ma Ling.
“The FDA regulatory board will go around and inspect. We also ask the public to report any sightings [of these banned products] to the FDA,” FDA Officer-in-charge Eric Domingo told INQUIRER.net, explaining that they implemented the ban to ensure that the country won’t be affected by the virus.
The World Organization for Animal Health said ASF is a severe viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs. Although it is not a risk to human health, the FDA said it can still cause “major economic loss” to swine industries.