AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE MEAT INSPECTION SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY

Case Overview and Summary

DECLARATION OF POLICY AND DEFINITIONS

- Promulgate policies and procedures governing food animals, meat, and meat products. (Section 2a)
- Ensure food security, safety standards, and consumer protection. (Section 2b)
- Support local government units in self-reliance and exercising powers. (Section 2c)
- Strengthen and harmonize issuances on meat establishment operations and meat inspection. (Section 2d)
- Promote risk analysis based on scientific methodology for food safety standards. (Section 2e)
- Support livestock and poultry industry development and prevent disease entry. (Section 2f)
- Strengthen rules and regulations governing meat importation. (Section 2g)

INSTITUTION

- National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) is the sole national controlling authority on meat and meat product inspection and meat hygiene. (Section 5)
- Meat Inspection Board created to assist in policy formulation and advise the Chairperson. (Section 6)
- NMIS headed by an Executive Director and has administrative, technical, and support services. (Section 7)
- NMIS powers and functions include formulating policies, guidelines, rules, and regulations; supervising and controlling meat inspection; evaluating and accrediting meat establishments; training personnel; and seeking assistance from other agencies. (Section 8)
- Regional Technical Operation Centers to be transformed into meat laboratories and technical operation centers, with functions eventually devolved to provincial governments. (Section 9)

RESPONSIBILITIES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

- Local government units regulate construction, management, and operation of slaughterhouses, meat inspection, meat transport, and post-abattoir control. (Section 10)
- Local government units have authority to evaluate and implement national meat standards within their jurisdiction. (Section 11)
- Local government units retain their share of ante- and post-mortem fees collection and 20% of fees, fines, and charges collected by NMIS. (Section 11)
- National government shall allocate funds as incentive equivalent to funds available from local government units for improving meat facilities. (Section 12)

SCOPE OF MEAT INSPECTION

- Applies to all meat establishments where food animals are slaughtered, prepared, processed, handled, packed, or stored. (Section 13)
- Slaughterhouses and poultry dressing plants shall ensure adequate protection and welfare of food animals awaiting slaughter. (Section 13)
- Only meat control officers, deputized meat control officers, meat inspectors, and deputized meat inspectors appointed by NMIS or local government units are authorized to conduct meat inspection work. (Section 14)
- NMIS has the responsibility to ensure and enforce hygienic requirements in meat establishments. (Section 15)
- Meat establishment management shall follow NMIS instructions on humane slaughter, hygienic requirements, and inspection requirements. (Section 16)

ANTE-MORTEM INSPECTION

- Ante-mortem inspection of food animals is required before slaughter in any city, municipal, or licensed private abattoirs. (Section 17)
- Animals manifesting diseases or conditions warranting outright condemnation shall be marked "CONDEMNED", isolated, and disposed of under supervision. (Section 18)
- Inspectors shall examine and inspect the method of slaughtering and handling food animals to prevent inhumane practices. (Section 19)
- Secretary may refuse inspection to new slaughtering establishments or suspend inspection if inhumane slaughtering or handling practices are found. (Section 20)

POST-MORTEM INSPECTION

- Inspectors shall conduct post-mortem examination and inspection of carcasses and parts of food animals prepared for commerce. (Section 21)
- Carcasses and parts found not adulterated shall be marked "Inspected and Passed", and those found adulterated shall be marked "Inspected and Condemned" and destroyed. (Section 22)
- Inspectors shall re-inspect carcasses and parts when necessary to determine if they have become adulterated after the first inspection. (Section 23)
- Provisions apply to carcasses or parts brought into meat processing, canning, packing, or similar establishments before treatment, processing, or preparation. (Section 24)
- Secretary may limit entry of carcasses, parts, meat, and other materials into meat establishments to ensure consistency with the Act's purposes. (Section 25)
- Inspectors shall have access at all times to every part of meat establishments for examination and inspection. (Section 26)
- Inspectors shall mark, stamp, tag, or label products as "Inspected and Passed" or "Inspected and Condemned". (Section 27)
- No veterinary quarantine clearance shall be given to vessels with meat and meat products for export until a certificate of safety and wholesomeness is obtained from NMIS. (Section 28)
- Veterinary inspectors are authorized to give official certificates of the condition of food animals, carcasses, and products. (Section 29)
- No person, firm, or corporation shall sell, transport, offer for sale or transportation, or receive for transportation any carcasses, meat, or meat products unless properly marked or labeled. (Section 30)
- Inspectors shall seize, confiscate, condemn, or dispose of carcasses or parts that have not passed through ante-mortem inspection. (Section 31)

INSPECTION OF IMPORTED MEAT AND MEAT FOOD PRODUCT

- NMIS shall conduct examination and laboratory analysis of imported meat and meat products after approval for release by the National Veterinary Quarantine Service. (Section 32)
- Inspectors shall seize, recall, confiscate, condemn, or dispose of imported carcasses, meat, or meat products found to be filthy, contaminated, adulterated, or misbranded. (Section 33)
- Meat exporters to the Philippines shall secure accreditation of foreign meat establishments from the Department of Agriculture before shipment. (Section 34)
- Meat exporters to the Philippines must comply with all import requirements prior to shipment. (Section 35)
- Imported meat and meat products not meeting Philippine import requirements shall be refused entry and re-exported or destroyed at the importer's expense. (Section 36)

LABELING REQUIREMENTS

- Meat or meat products inspected and marked "Inspected and Passed" shall be labeled under the supervision of an inspector, stating that the contents have been "Inspected and Passed". (Section 37)
- Examination and inspection of meat and meat products shall not be deemed complete until sealed or enclosed under the supervision of an inspector. (Section 38)
- Carcasses, parts, meat, and meat products inspected and found not adulterated shall bear legible information required by the Act when leaving the establishment. (Section 39)
- Secretary may prescribe styles and sizes of type, definitions and standards of identity or composition, and standards of fill of container. (Section 40)
- No article shall be sold or offered for sale under false or misleading marking, labeling, or container. (Section 41)
- Secretary may direct withholding of false or misleading marking, labeling, or container unless modified as prescribed. (Section 42)

SANITATION

- Secretary shall require sanitation inspection of meat establishments and prescribe rules and regulations for their operation and maintenance. (Section 43)
- Meat and meat products operated under unsanitary conditions rendering them adulterated shall not be labeled or marked as "Inspected and Passed". (Section 43)

PRODUCT QUALITY AND SAFETY

- Secretary shall adopt internationally recognized standards, recommendations, procedures, or guidelines to ensure the quality and safety of meat and meat products. (Section 44)

PRODUCT INFORMATION AND CONSUMER AWARENESS

- NMIS shall provide information and assistance to the public on proper handling, preparation, storing, processing, and preservation of meat and meat products, and may seek assistance from the industry and private sector. (Section 45)

FEES AND CHARGES

- Secretary shall prescribe and charge reasonable fees for services rendered after public hearing. (Section 46)
- Amounts collected from fees, fines, and charges by NMIS shall be deposited with the National Treasury and accrue to the General Fund. (Section 46)
- A Meat Inspection Service Development Trust Fund shall be established, administered by the Meat Inspection Board, and funded by at least 50% of fees, fines, and charges for the first five years. (Section 47)
- The Trust Fund shall be used for upgrading laboratory equipment and facilities, training, research and development, indemnification of condemned animals, accreditation of foreign meat plants, and other forms of assistance and support to the livestock sector. (Section 47)
- The Trust Fund may accept grants and donations from national and foreign entities and individuals. (Section 47)

PROHIBITED ACTS

- No person, firm, or corporation shall: (Section 48)
- Slaughter food animals or prepare meat or meat products in any meat establishment except in compliance with the Act.
- Slaughter or handle food animals in an inhumane manner.
- Sell, transport, offer or receive for sale or transportation carcasses, meat, or meat products required to be inspected but not inspected and passed.
- Do any act while being transported or held for sale that causes or has the effect of causing adulteration or misbranding.
- No brand manufacturer, printer, or other person shall make any device containing an official mark or simulation thereof, except as authorized by the Secretary. (Section 49)
- No person, firm, or corporation shall: (Section 50)
- Forge any official device, mark, or certificate.
- Use, alter, detach, deface, or destroy any official device, mark, or certificate.
- Fail to use, detach, deface, or destroy any official device, mark, or certificate contrary to regulations.
- Knowingly possess any counterfeit, simulated, forged, or improperly altered official certificate or device.
- Knowingly make any false statement in any certificate.
- Knowingly represent that any article has been inspected and passed when it has not.
- It is unlawful to slaughter food animals without ante-mortem inspection or store, transport, or sell carcasses, organs, or parts without prior inspection and passing. (Section 51)
- It is unlawful to resist, harass, intimidate, assault, impede, or interfere with any inspector during the performance of duties. (Section 52)
- It is unlawful for any person employed by NMIS or local government unit for meat inspection work to engage in buying, selling, trading, or negotiating purchases or sales of meat and meat products. (Section 53)
- It is unlawful for any shipping line or airline to accept shipment of meat and meat products for export into the country without accompanying veterinary quarantine clearance and international veterinary certificate. (Section 54)

ACCESS AND EXAMINATION

- Certain classes of persons, firms, and corporations shall keep records and disclose pertinent transactions, and afford access to their places of business and opportunity to examine facilities, inventory, and records upon notice by a representative of the Secretary. (Section 55)

PENALTIES AND SANCTIONS

- Secretary shall issue a schedule of administrative fines for violations of any provisions of the Act. (Section 56)
- Secretary is authorized to issue a "Cease and Desist Order" to any person, firm, or corporation engaged in the business of slaughtering food animals, preparing, freezing, packaging, storing, or labeling carcasses or parts or products of carcasses for use as human food, found to be in violation of any provisions of the Act, if continued operation poses risk to public health and endangers the animal population. (Section 57)
- Any carcasses, parts, or products found to have been prepared, handled, packed, stored, transported, or offered for sale as human food not in accordance with any provisions of the Act shall be confiscated and disposed of at the expense of the person, firm, or corporation found to be in violation. (Section 58)

TRANSITORY PROVISION

- Secretary shall convene a technical working committee within 90 days from the effectivity of the Act to formulate the necessary implementing rules and regulations, which shall be submitted to the Committee on Agriculture of both Houses of Congress for prior approval. (Section 59)

MISCELLANEOUS AND FINAL PROVISIONS

- If any portion or provision of the Code is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other portions or provisions not affected shall continue to be in full force and effect. (Section 60)
- All existing laws, decrees, executive orders, and rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the Code are repealed or modified accordingly. (Section 61)
- The Code shall take effect 30 days after its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in two newspapers of general circulation, whichever comes first. (Section 62)