BOC to start destroying rotten meat products at MICP

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) may now proceed with the disposal of meat products that have been abandoned rotting in the Manila International Container Port (MICP) for two years.

This came after the International Container Terminal Services. Inc (ICTSI), which runs the MICP, gave the go signal for the BOC to dispose of the meat products after it waived the charges on the meat shipments.

MICP acting collector Mel Pascual said that storage fees for a first batch including five container vans of frozen meat have been waived by ICTSI, signaling the start of its destruction.

As mode of disposition, he said the rotting meat would be destroyed through what he called “rendering.”

The meat products, stacked in 171 container refrigerated vans, have been under the custody of BOC after these arrived in the Manila port in separate dates between January to June of last year.

They were consigned to Jcore Enterprises, Lucky Sisters and Lean Pasture.

The BOC said that it was aware of the challenges in disposing the rotting meat and the agency will be trying its earnest to accomplish the task.

The BOC, along with other concerned agencies, decided to dispose of the rotting meat by burying them in a landfill, but before doing that, they wanted the meat to decompose in order to deter diggers from salvaging them.

MICP Auction and Cargo Disposal Division chief Gerry Macatangay said that Eco Safe will handle the disposition of the rotting meat.

“Normally, shelf life for frozen meat is six months up to a year. Regardless, ICTSI will unplug the vans once the shipment has been approved for condemnation to start the disposal process,” he said.

With this, he assured the public that “there would be no way any abandoned meat can be resold for consumption.”