According to an agriculture expert, it is possible that frozen meat imported into the country can bring African Swine Fever (ASF) and other diseases.
“’Yung disadvantage talaga is ‘yung sa food safety kasi we don’t know ‘yung sa source, specifically kung paano binuo ‘yung manok sa farm… (Sa imported frozen meat) depende ho talaga, kung may bacteria na na-preserve, na-kontamina ‘yung meat and then ‘yun,” said Dr. Sherwin Camba ng College of Agriculture and Food Science of University of the Philippines-Los Baños.
“Halimbawa, dineliver na dito sa atin, ang tendency kasi is tropical tayo diba mainit, ang masama dun ‘yung mag-tothaw tas i-fofrozen mo ulit, dun na ‘yung potential contamination,” he added.
(For example, if it has been delivered to us, the tendency is because we are tropical, isn’t it hot, the bad thing is to freeze the bag and refreeze it, that’s the potential contamination.)
He said consumers prefer fresh meat over frozen meat because it ensures it is safe to eat.
He also asserted that frozen meats could be contaminated, especially if they thaw when they arrive in the country due to the hot weather.
Imported frozen meat may carry ASF, other diseases
According to consumers, they are afraid of buying imported frozen meat because it is no longer nutritious.
As for one who works at Antipolo Public Market, he said that fresh chickens taste better than frozen ones.
Usually, it is safer and tastier to use in the kitchen or the restaurant because the mixture is more delicious and chewier on freshly slaughtered chicken.
Tony, a seller of pork and chicken at the market, said that local poultry sells better than imported ones and that imported meats usually last two to three months before being sold. They stock the imported chickens for 2-3 months.
Most of the time imported frozen meat is not told when the original production date is. It is also unknown what the actual condition of the imported frozen chicken is because it may have been repackaged and mixed with spices, which is why it is often fishy.
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