Authorities confiscate expired meat, dimsum products in Tondo

Hundreds of kilos of expired frozen and processed meat and dimsum products were confiscated by authorities in Tondo, Manila on Sunday.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Reynaldo Magdaluyo, chief of the Raxabago Police Station, said they received a tip from a concerned citizen about expired meat and dimsum products about to be thrown away, according to a report by Darlene Cay on GMA News' Unang Balita on Monday.

Police then launched an operation and caught a van full of boxes of the said products in Barangay 128 past 5 p.m.

A foul smell came from the van found to have boxes of expired pork, chicken, shrimp, kikiam, and meatball products.

Some of the boxes were even labeled as imported from Brazil.

Daan daang kilong sirang karneng baboy, manok, hipon, at iba pang frozen goods gaya ng meatballs at kikiam ang nasamsam ng mga awtoridad sa Tondo, Maynila kahapon. @gmanews @UnangHirit @dzbb pic.twitter.com/CLqzPXAsad

— Darlene Cay (@DarleneCay) August 25, 2019

"Nakatanggap tayo ng reliable information na mayroong isang van na may lulan o may karga na imported meat products and dimsum products na dito sa Road 10 Permanent Building. So nagpositibo naman 'yung ating police operation at eto nga nahuli natin ang isang L300," Magdaluyo said.

The driver and his companion said they were told by their employer to throw the said goods.

Throwing of such goods is prohibited under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

Magdaluyo said expired meat products are sometimes cleaned and sold in markets.

"Nililinis 'yung mga karne na ganito at maaaring itinitinda pa sa ating mga palengke," he said.

Itatapon daw sana ang mga ito sa hindi naman dapat tapunan. Pero ang mas nakababahala, may ilang residente raw na kumukuha ng mga ito para linisin at kainin, o di kaya ay ibenta. @gmanews @UnangHirit @dzbb

— Darlene Cay (@DarleneCay) August 25, 2019

The company behind the meat products was identified as Tristar Frozen Products.

GMA News sought to interview Tristar Frozen Products but the company declined to issue a statement.

Meanwhile, the driver and his companion as well as the company management will face charges of violation of RA 9003.

The expired products were to be turned over to the City Health Office for proper disposal. —KG, GMA News