Pursuant to Department of Agriculture Administrative Order No. 19 dated August 10, 1993 which provides for the importation of fresh frozen meat and meat products exclusively from the slaughterhouse/plant of ALLANASONS LTD., of Aurangabad, State of Maharastra, India and Section 18 and 48 (4) of Chapters 4 and 6, respectively of Title IV, Book IV of Executive Order No. 292, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987, the following guidelines are hereby prescribed for the guidance of all concerned:


ARTICLE I
Veterinary Requirements at the Country of Origin


SECTION 1.       Source of Buffaloes - Fresh frozen meat and meat products shall come from buffaloes that:

a)   originated from Rinderpest free zones and where the disease has not been present for at least three (3) years;

b)   originated from farms/feedlots in which there has been no outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in the premises within a radius of 25 kms. for 60 days;

c)    have remained in the Region of Aurangabad, State of Maharastra for at least 3 months before slaughter, and where regular vaccination against FMD and official controls are in operation; and

d)    have been vaccinated for FMD at least twice with the last vaccination not more than twelve months and not less than one month prior to slaughter.

SECTION 2.       Transport of Buffaloes - The buffaloes shall be transported directly from within the Aurangabad region to the approved/accredited slaughterhouse and were conveyed in a means of transport which has been cleaned and disinfected before loading.

SECTION 3.       Pre-Slaughter Conditions - The buffaloes shall be slaughtered as soon as possible, and not later than 72 hours, after their arrival in the approved slaughterhouse which conforms to international standard, and be subjected to ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection by duly authorized veterinarians. The animals must have been found to be free from FMD, Rinderpest and other diseases during the inspection. The ante-mortem inspection should be carried out within 24-48 hours of arrival in the slaughterhouse and repeated if animals were not slaughtered within 48 hours. The ante-mortem inspection shall include examination for clinical evidence of FMD and where appropriate a detailed examination of feet and mouth. The ration for buffaloes in the holding pen shall come from certified FMD-free areas.

SECTION 4.       Meat Treatment at The Slaughterhouse - The meat must not contain any bones and lymphatic glands before blast/contact freezing. The deboned meat must originate from carcasses which have matured at an ambient temperature of not more than + 2 to + 4 degrees Celsius for at least 24 hours before the bones were removed. After maturation and before removal of the bones, the pH value of the meat must be less than 6 as measured in the M. longissimus dorsi. Random test certificate issued by the quality control laboratory of the plant confirming this aspect performed by the technician and confirmed by the official veterinary authorities shall be included in the export documents.

SECTION 5.       Meat and Meat Product Standards - Finished meat and meat products shall be:

a)   certified free from pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria, campylobacter and other harmful contaminants and residues;

b)    packed in plastic packs printed with the date of manufacture and batch number in the carton of fresh meat and embossed in the can of the canned meat;   acHITE

c)     labelled with suitable œFOR EXPORT TO THE PHILIPPINES;

d)     the validity/shelf life of the fresh frozen boneless meat shall be 12 months and that of heat treated meat products shall be 36 months.

SECTION 6.       Government Certification - The Chief Veterinary Officer or his authorized representative of the State of Maharastra shall cause the issuance of an international sanitary certificate with the seal of his office attesting to the correctness and the complete application of Sections 1-6 as herein provided.

SECTION 7.       Compliance Procedure - The Secretary of Agriculture may impose a periodic inspection of the sources of buffaloes, status of the slaughterhouse/plant and the overall disease situation in the Region of Aurangabad State of Maharastra to determine compliance to the import requirements under this circular.


ARTICLE II
Conditions Prior to Importation


SECTION 8.       Application and Issuance of Veterinary Quarantine Clearance/Permit - Prospective Importers shall file their application to import with the NMIC which shall accredit and recommend duly authorized importers of meat and meat products and after securing the necessary veterinary quarantine/health clearance from the BAI, process the issuance of the Veterinary Quarantine Clearance/Permit for approval by the Secretary of Agriculture or his duly authorized representatives.

SECTION 9.       Who may Apply - Only duly accredited meat processors are allowed to import fresh frozen boneless buffalo meat. Heat treated meat products like cooked frozen meat, corned beef, and luncheon meat, other importers can be allowed.


ARTICLE III
Arrival Arrangements


SECTION 10.    Veterinary Quarantine at Ports of Entry - Meat and meat products arriving at ports of entry shall be subject to existing BAI quarantine rules and regulations.

SECTION 11.    Delivery and Release of Meat and Meat Products - The vehicle or means of transportation used in the delivery of meat from the port to meat plant shall be closed van with the flooring completely leak proof - Upon delivery, the meat and meat products shall be separated and clearly identified from the rest of the meat in the cold storage or warehouse only after inspection by the NMIC and the results of the laboratory examinations from the samples taken are officially reported.

SECTION 12.    Disposal of Materials Scraps - All the materials used for packaging shall be disposed of by burning to preclude possible spread of infection, and meat scraps should be collected for rendering or incineration under the supervision of NMIC personnel.

SECTION 13.    Monitoring - NMIC personnel shall closely monitor the delivery and release of meat and meat products specially the handling of meat from the time of delivery until they are packed as finished product. The inspector shall submit periodic reports to the NMIC/BAI on the disposition of the importation.


ARTICLE IV
Miscellaneous Provisions


SECTION 14.    Repealing Clause - All orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this circular are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Adopted: 15 Oct. 1993

(SGD.) LINO E. NAZARENO	(SGD.) ROMEO N. ALCASID
Assistant Secretary	Director, BAI
(SGD.) MANUEL D. ROCHA
Executive Director, NMIC