Expired premium meat also found in Bulacan warehouse

Expired premium meat, such as Angus beef and tenderloin, was also found in the recently raided cold storage warehouse in Meycauayan, Bulacan.

This was two days after the Central Luzon Regional Office of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) found some P600 million worth of expired meat that was allegedly being sold as fit for consumption, according to John Consulta's "24 Oras" report on Friday.

“Nung previous interview sa amin, mga ordinary meat products lang, pang-masang meat products. Subsequently, nakita namin as we went deeper, meron din silang pangmamahaling produkto tulad ng Angus beef, tenderloin, iba’t ibang steak na expired na rin,” said NBI agent on case Atty. Aires Manaloto.

(In our previous interview, we only found ordinary meat products and mass-market meat products. Subsequently, as we went deeper, we also found premium products like Angus beef, tenderloin, and various expired steaks.)

The NBI confirmed that follow-up operations and backtracking efforts were ongoing to trace where the expired meat products were being distributed.

“Public health ito. Kailangan mapangalagaan ang mamamayan natin. Kaya 'pag katulad ng ganitong item, hindi dapat mapunta sa merkado, huhulihin natin,” said Jun Carpeso, Regional Director of the NBI Central Luzon Office.

(This is a public health issue. We need to protect our citizens. Items like these should not reach the market, and we will take action against them.)

The agency earlier confiscated these expired imported meat products and transported them using five trucks directly to an incinerator at a disposal center in San Ildefonso, Bulacan.

The raid, conducted on Wednesday, March 12, uncovered approximately P600 million worth of expired frozen meat inside the cold storage facility. Many of the seized products were in an advanced state of decay, with mold growth and visible signs of spoilage.

An informant revealed that the company responsible for the illegal operation had been altering expiration dates to make the meat appear fresh. Some of the confiscated products were found to have expired as early as 2020.

The NBI warned businesses and consumers to be vigilant against selling unsafe meat products. 

Authorities also urged the public to report any suspicious food-handling practices to prevent potential health hazards. —Sherylin Untalan/VBL, GMA Integrated News