WHEREAS, after a thorough review of the documents submitted by Hind Agro-Industries Ltd. (HAIL) on the buffalo meat processing plant and the veterinary health conditions of buffaloes in Aligarh, State of Uttar Pradesh, India, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the National Meat Inspection Commission (NMIC) found that HAIL can comply with the safety and risk-free importation of buffalo meat to the Philippines in accordance with the DA Memo Circular No. 2, series of 1998, particularly:

1. The buffalo carcass must be allowed to mature under +2 to 4 C for at least 24 hours, to keep the pH below 6;
   
   
2. The buffalo meat must be deboned and deglanded before blast/contact freezing; and
   
   
3. Meat products must be cooked/processed for a minimum of 75 degrees Celsius for 60 minutes and must have reached an interval temperature of 71 degrees Celsius.

WHEREAS, the recent technical mission in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, after a thorough investigation and evaluation of the buffalo meat processing plant complex and the buffalo health situations in the Agra Division market sources found favorable conditions that merit allowing the importation of buffalo meat from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India by HAIL.

NOW THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM D. DAR, Acting Secretary of Agriculture, do hereby issue this ORDER for the FULL ACCREDITATION of HIND AGRO-INDUSTRIES LTD to export fresh frozen deboned and deglanded buffalo meat and meat processed products from India;

All orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Order are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

This Order shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 23 Dec. 1998

(SGD.) WILLIAM D. DAR, PH.D.
Acting Secretary

Recommending Approval:

(SGD.) TEODORO A. ABILAY, PH.D.
Director, BAI

(SGD.) EDGARDO C. DIMALANTA, DVM
Executive Director, NMIC