Registration of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the Republic of the Philippines

Last Update: Monday, August 14, 2017 : 14:56 (+4GMT)

Attributed to: Dr Majid Sultan Al Qasimi - Director of Animal Health and Development Department, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

Dubai, UAE, August 14, 2017: Based on a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health about the registration of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Republic of the Philippines, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) took the following actions:

Prohibited the import of all kinds of live domestic and wild birds, ornamental birds, chicks, hatching eggs and their thermally untreated wastes from the Republic of the Philippines.
Prohibited the import of poultry meat and thermally untreated products and table eggs from the affected province of PAMPANGA.
Allowed the continuation of imports of thermally treated poultry products (treated meat and processed egg products) and thermally treated poultry waste from across the Republic of the Philippines.
Allowed the entry of imports prior to 3/7/2017of thermally untreated products and table eggs from the affected province.

Notably, the Ministry is keen to raise the level of food safety and ensure the provision of safe food to the consumer. It works to implement the Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on the safety of food, which applies to all establishments licensed to trade food or feed, and consignments coming into the country or passing through its territory.

The law also applies to all stages of the food chain from primary production through processing until it reaches the end-consumer. The Ministry is responsible for standardizing and supervising food safety procedures in cooperation with concerned local food authorities.

The Ministry is constantly working to develop the necessary policies, strategies and legislation to ensure food safety throughout the food chain and regulate trade activities to enhance food security. Furthermore, it supports the national economy by regulating food handling activities including import, export and re-export.

When a shipment of food products is received by the authorities in the country, the documents accompanying the consignments (certificate of origin, health certificate and other required certificates such as Halal certificate) are strictly verified.

The authorities also screen the product identification cards to make sure they comply with the stringent standards of the UAE. In addition, they examine samples of the food products through necessary laboratory tests to ensure that these products are free from harmful substances or contaminants.

Posted by: APCO Worldwide
Viewed: 3670 times
PR Category: Healthcare & Fitness
Posted on: 14 Aug 2017 2:56:00 PM (GMT+4)

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