Over 1,400 kilos of double dead meat seized in Tarlac

Authorities seized more than 1,400 kilos of double dead meat and frozen meat products in Tarlac City market, according to Russel Simorio’s GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon report on Tuesday.

Personnel of the City Veterinary Office and Public Order and Safety Office confiscated the mishandled frozen meat, hot meat and “botcha” or double dead meat during their four days of law enforcement operation.

The confiscated meat came from the other provinces and areas outside of Tarlac, the enforcers said.

“Kapag botcha kasi, kapag double dead ‘yan, kung patay ‘yan, definitely, nag-uundergo na ng deterioration ‘yung karne. ‘Yung deterioration na ‘yun, ibig sabihin, may mga bacterial growth rate na ‘yun,” Tarlac City veterinarian Dr. Noel Soliman said.

(If it is botcha or double dead, definitely, the meat will undergo deterioration. It means there was a bacterial growth rate present.)

The City Veterinary Office said several meat traders will face charges for violation of the meat inspection code.

However, some of the meat traders left the market when the authorities came to check.

“Nakapatong na ‘yung mga pan?nda nilang karne. Iniwan na nila ‘yung mga timbangan ng karne at kutsilyo, guilty sila na botcha ‘yun,” Soliman said.

(The meat for sale were already out. They have left the meat scales and knives, they were guilty that these meat were botcha.)

The confiscated meat and meat products were immediately disposed.

The operation was part of the stricter supervision of selling meat due to the cases of African swine fever and the expected high demand of meat in the coming months.—Richa Noriega/LDF, GMA News