Smuggled chorizo seized in Calbayog port

CALBAYOG, Samar – Another shipment of at least 1,330 kgs. of undocumented processed uncooked meat (chorizo) was intercepted by elements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Naval Forces Central, Philippine National Police (PNP), Military Intelligence Group Samar, Coastguard Eastern Visayas and Calbayog City Health Office on Tuesday at Maguinoo Port, Calbayog City.

The shipment, packed in plastic and in apple boxes, was transported through MV Filipinas Iloilo from Cebu Port and was reported to be owned by Marvin Docong, Jenel Reveche, Elden Edoloverio and Edgar Caparoso.

The shipment was seized because of the lack of documents that would permit the transport of processed uncooked meat.

According to FDA Officer-inCharge Regional Supervisor Eugenia Castillote, the requirements needed to transport the processed uncooked meat are License to Operate, which is issued by FDA; Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) permit from the source; official receipt that will reflect the trade name of the company; transport and sanitary permits.

Meanwhile, she slammed the city veterinary office for releasing the previously intercepted 800 kilos of chorizo on June 5. The shipment was also owned by Reveche and Edoloverio.

In a follow-up report by Dr. Gerardo de Guzman, he said that Odoverio and other shippers were able to provide the required documents to release the 19 boxes of intercepted chorizo, but no records were furnished to other members of the team.

Castillote stressed that the intercepted food items were not under the city veterinary office’s jurisdiction because they were already processed.

“They should only look after live animals, but they are already processed so it should not be under them,” she told The Manila Bulletin.

Authorities suspect that the meat products were made of double dead meat due to its large volume of production and shipment in a week.

Castillote pointed out that even a licensed processing plant in Eastern Visayas located in Ormoc City can only process as much as 20 kilos per day.

Moreover, she noted that the shippers did not observe “good storage practice” because the shipment of chorizo was only packed in apple boxes and was not frozen.

Samples of the seized items were taken by the city medical technologist and will be sent to DOST for testing.