THE Bacolod City Council approved a resolution requesting Mayor Evelio Leonardia to assign a permanent and qualified ante-mortem inspector at the AVM Bernardo slaughterhouse to inspect food animals for slaughter.
The resolution, authored by Councilor Bartolome Orola, said in order to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the consuming public and to strictly monitor food animals for slaughter for any diseases, and signs of flooding or drenching of animals, and such similar conditions, there should be a qualified inspector permanently assigned to do the ante-mortem inspection.
He said any animal manifesting any disease or condition that shall warrant outright condemnation during ante-mortem inspection shall be marked "condemned," isolated immediately and disposed of under the supervision of an inspector.
Orola noted that Republic Act No. 9296, or the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines Section 17-Requirement of An Ante-Mortem Inspection, provides that an ante-mortem inspection shall be made of food animals by authorized inspectors before it shall be allowed for slaughter in any city, municipal or licensed private abattoirs in which the meat or meat products thereof are to be sold.
Orola said Section 31 of RA 9296 authorizes the inspectors to seize, confiscate condemn or dispose of carcasses or parts thereof of food animals that are sold, transported, distributed, offered or received for distribution in commerce that has not passed through ante-mortem inspection.
He said the carcasses or parts thereof are considered "hot meat" and if found not fit for human use during the examination shall be disposed of as provided in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9296.
