PH bans entry of poultry products from Chile

MANILA  -The government has temporarily barred the entry of poultry imports from Chile after the South American country confirmed a bird flu outbreak there.

In a memorandum order, the Department of Agriculture (DA) imposed a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products, including poultry meat, day old chicks, eggs and semen, from Chile.

“There is a need to prevent the entry of [highly pathogenic avian influenza] virus to protect the health of the local poultry population,” the memo read.

This means the agency has immediately suspended the processing, evaluation of applications and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances.

Except for heat-treated items, all veterinary quarantine officers/inspectors will halt and confiscate all deliveries of the above-stated products at all major ports of entry.

According to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), heat-treated products are acceptable, provided competent authorities will present a veterinary health certificate.

They will submit certifications indicating the temperature and duration of heating or pasteurization of products, and there is no commingling of raw materials with any other materials of animal origin.

In addition, all shipments that are in transit, loaded or accepted in ports before the official communication of the order was relayed to Chilean authorities will be allowed as long as these were slaughtered or produced before March 10.

The DA made the issuance as local officials in Chile informed WOAH of an outbreak of HPAI subtype H5N1 in Rubiana 1, Comuna de Rancagua on March 10 affecting domestic birds.

Chile delivered 2.9 million kilograms of chicken to the Philippines as of March. These are mechanically deboned chicken/mechanically separated chicken, according to data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

The Philippines is likewise battling bird flu. The BAI’s latest report showed that the IIocos Region and Central Luzon are still affected by avian influenza as of March 31.