Canned meat makers promise stable prices as PH lifts ban on Brazil poultry

Less than a month into its implementation, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted a ban on the import of mecha­nically deboned poultry meat (MDM), or the product used in making hotdogs and luncheon meat, from Brazil.

In a memorandum order released on Monday, the DA said it would allow the importation of MDM provided that the products would come from COVID-19-free meat establishments. The poultry products must also carry a safe handling label and must be used solely for the manufactu­ring of heat-treated products.

The agency said the South American country was able to submit documents proving it was implementing necessary measures to control and prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in its meat establishments.

Another reason for the lifting could be the mounting pressure from local meat processing groups to lift the ban, while the Brazilian government threatened it would take the issue to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Bureau of Animal Industry Director Ronnie Domingo said the temporary ban was issued as a precaution, noting the rise of COVID-19 cases among Brazilian factory workers in chicken processing facilities.

But according to the Brazilian government, the Philippines’ move to ban poultry imports is in violation of the WTO’s rules on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) concerns, particularly Article 5 of the WTO SPS agreement.

Under the provision, any risk assessment must be driven by scientific studies. The Brazilian government said there were no studies confirming the virus causing COVID-19 was transmissible through food.

The Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi), which represents companies such as CDO Foodsphere Inc. and Pampanga’s Best Inc., welcomed the DA’s decision.

In a statement, Pampi assured the government and consumers that following the new order, the prices of canned goods would remain stable for the rest of the year.

MDM accounts for 20 to 25 percent of the imported raw materials for the manufactu­ring of canned goods such as luncheon meat and hotdogs. Brazil is currently the Philippines’ second-largest supplier of MDM next to the Netherlands. INQ