100% physical examination a must for agri products that enter PH – BOC

All agricultural goods, including meat and pork imports, must undergo initial and 100percent physical examinations before they are cleared for release, the Bureau of Customs said.

Under the Food Safety Act, all imported agricultural goods contained in reefer containers are subjected to initial examination and then will be opened for total physical examination, the bureau noted amid the intensified watch over African Swine Fever-affected meat products entering the country.

Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla, Customs spokesman, said all imported agricultural goods contained in reefer containers will have to be examined by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) at their accredited warehouses before they are released.

It was also reiterated that according to the Food Safety Act of 2013, “imported foods shall undergo cargo inspection and clearance procedures by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Health (DOH) at the first port of entry to determine compliance with national regulations.

It was emphasized that the inspection by the DA and the DOH “shall always take place prior to assessment for tariff and other charges by the Bureau of Customs.”

The bureau, for its part, is regularly providing the DA and the DOH documents such as the Inward Foreign Manifest of Arriving Vessels to enable them to identify shipments requiring food safety inspection.

“In case of meat products, reefer container is sealed by BAI prior to the release of said imports from the bureau. The sealed reefer container will be further examined 100 percent by the National Meat Inspection Service in its accredited storage warehouse,” the bureau said.