Chinese authorities expressed alarm on the recent findings in Shenzhen on frozen chicken wings imported from Brazil which tested positive for COVID-19. Aside from China, the Philippines is also an importer of chicken products from Brazil.
Data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) show that the country has imported 55,395,826 kilograms of chicken from Brazil from January to July 2020.
Following the report, the technical committee of the Department of Agriculture (DA) immediately conducted a meeting and decided to implement a temporary ban on the entry of poultry meat from Brazil.
The United Broiler Raisers Association has welcomed the decision of the DA but some importers raised a concern.
“Ang meat situation natin (Our meat situation) is very precarious… Ang baboy natin, pork supply natin is very short already… Kapag ang manok ay mababawasan rin, lalong mahihirapan tayo (We have a very short supply in pork already… If chicken supply is reduced, it will be harder for us),” Meat Importers and Traders Association Inc. President Jess Cham pointed out.
Meanwhile, the health department clarified that COVID-19 is not transmitted by the ingestion of food with coronavirus. “Hindi (It’s not) through food… Hindi ‘yan (It’s not) gastrointestinal route. It’s still respiratory route,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
“Sa mga pagkakataong hinawakan ng pasyente ang pagkain tapos hinawakan mo rin, doon na pwedeng magkaroon ng transmission through the nose, through the mucous membranes sa mouth, and through the mucous membranes sa eyes (When you have contact with the food a patient has touched, the transmission can be possible through the nose, through the mucous membranes of the mouth, and through the mucous membranes of the eyes),” Vergeire explained.
– Report from Cleizl Pardilla
