WHEREAS, the Department of Agriculture believes that meat and meat product quality standardization are requisites to the development of the industry;

WHEREAS, the Department of Agriculture shall establish quality and safety standards of products related to agriculture and that meat being an agricultural product, the NMIC is responsible for its safety and quality standardization in pursuance to Article 7, Chapter 1, Title 1 of RA 7394 otherwise known as "The Consumer Act of the Philippines";

WHEREAS, the National Meat Inspection Commission as an attached agency of the DA is mandated to promulgate specific policies and procedures governing the flow of livestock products through the various stages of marketing and the proper preservation and inspection of such products;

WHEREAS, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Standard Sanitation Operating Procedures (SSOP) are the primary program that have to be practiced in all meat establishments and are pre-requisites to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Program.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ARTHUR C. YAP Secretary of Agriculture, do hereby issue this Order requiring all NMIC accredited "AA" meat establishments to adopt Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Standard Sanitation Operating Procedures (SSOP) in the whole process of food production and to be certified as such by NMIC.

The NMIC shall issue implementing guidelines to this effect.

This Order shall take effect after its publication in two newspapers of general circulation.

Adopted: 27 Sept. 2004


(SGD.) ARTHUR C. YAP
Secretary