Shipping raw meat needs

quarantine proof, permits

TAGBILARAN CITY, January 19, (PIA)--Transporting raw meat, unless it bears the assurance that it comes from a Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) accredited abattoir, is strictly prohibited.

But if one can show the sales receipt telling that the shipment was sourced out from an abattoir accredited by the BAI, of if the meat is subjected to heat by cooking enough to kill contaminants, shipment permits could be obtained.

Failure to present these proofs, veterinary professional Dr. Maria Eleonor Abisado, said they would not allow the shipment.

The restriction is a proactive measure to make Bohol and its livestock industry free from animal borne diseases as well as assure people that the meat coming from here is not tainted with any disease that might harm humans.

Dr Abisado, whose office operates the quarantine services for livestock and animals coming in and going out of Bohol has implemented the additional required document before livestock and pets or raw meat can be transported out of Bohol.

The BAI has issued Memorandum Circular No 26, series of 2017 that sets the guidelines in the issuance of shipping permit for transport of live animals, animal products and by-products.

As an office mandated to issue local shipping permits for intra and inter provincial as well as inter-island movement of live animals, their products and by-products, permits for these movements can come from the Provincial and Municipal Veterinarians Office.

For Inter and Inter regional as well as inter island movement, BAI has the Regional or Provincial Veterinary Quarantine Stations (VQS) located at ports or airports to issue the corresponding shipping permits.

Prior to getting these shipping permits to allow the live animals to be transported, a Veterinary Health Certificate (VHC) valid for 3 days from its issuance by the BAI VQS is required, Dr Abisado said.

The VHC is a certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian and concurred by a government unit veterinarian after being found negative of any of the BAI notifiable diseases.

This means that a shipper needs to bring his live animal to a veterinarian for the animal's check up before he can be given VHC.

And for dogs and cats, the shipper must also bring with him to the vet the animal's vaccination certificates, which must reflect a valid vaccination date and not less than 15 days of new vaccination prior to the transport date.

VQS need to make sure that an animal has had at least 15 days of quarantine to make sure that the inoculation has rendered any virus especially rabies incapable of spreading, Dr. Abisado said.

For fowl, VHC can be issued after the shipper can present proof that the live animal tests negative for Newcastle disease and avian influenza.

Goats need to be tested for Caprine, Arthritis and Encephalitis (CAE) a progressively debilitating and contagious disease in goats, as foot and mouth disease.

Aside from the VHC, large livestock on the other hand can be shipped if found uninfected of any disease, like foot and mouth, especially that Bohol is still FMD free, shippers must also bring with them to the VQS the certificate of ownership, if only to prove that the livestock is obtained properly and not from cattle rustling.

For those with meats, a purchase receipt from a store which gets its meat supplies from BAI accredited abattoirs would suffice, but in the absence of that, cooking the meat and subjecting it to heat can kill any possible bacteria or virus, so that transport can be allowed, according to BAI. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)