ILOILO – Not a single slaughterhouse in Iloilo Province has secured accreditation from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), leaving all existing facilities operating under local registration and restricting the distribution of their meat products to their respective municipalities.
The Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPVet) disclosed that slaughterhouses serving Iloilo’s 43 local government units (LGUs) have failed to fully comply with national accreditation requirements, with deficiencies ranging from inadequate equipment and sanitation procedures to shortages of trained personnel.
Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Darel Tabuada confirmed that all slaughterhouses in the province remain classified as Locally Registered Meat Establishments (LRMEs), despite some having infrastructure potentially capable of qualifying for higher accreditation.
“So, ang movement sang karne dira sina sa slaughterhouse is within sa sina lang nga munisipyo,” Tabuada told Panay News.
The absence of NMIS accreditation underscores the challenges confronting local governments in upgrading their slaughterhouse facilities to meet national standards for meat handling, sanitation and distribution.
Tabuada identified Oton, Miag-ao, San Joaquin, Barotac Nuevo and Barotac Viejo, as well as Iloilo City, as areas with slaughterhouse structures potentially capable of meeting Class AA requirements.
However, he said these facilities have yet to satisfy all the necessary conditions for accreditation.
Among the deficiencies he cited were insufficient trained slaughterhouse personnel, incomplete personal protective equipment (PPE), and failure to comply with prescribed slaughtering and meat-handling procedures, including the prohibition against floor dressing.
Floor dressing refers to the practice of processing slaughtered animals on the floor rather than using appropriate equipment and handling systems designed to minimize contamination.
Tabuada stressed that even relatively minor deficiencies could prevent slaughterhouses from obtaining accreditation.
Under the NMIS classification system described by Tabuada, slaughterhouses are categorized into three levels: Single A (Class A), Double A (Class AA), and Triple A (Class AAA), depending on their infrastructure, equipment, sanitation standards and market distribution capabilities.
Class A facilities must comply with basic slaughtering and meat-handling standards, including proper sanitation, separation of clean and unclean areas, and the prohibition against floor dressing.
“Sa single A accreditation, ang karne naga-undergo proper slaughtering wala sang floor dressing kag nami ang handling nila. Ang baligya-anay sina is within the municipality lang,” Tabuada said.
Class AA slaughterhouses must meet more stringent requirements, including semi-mechanized equipment, overhead conveyor systems, proper stunning and dehairing equipment, wastewater treatment facilities, cold storage, and stricter sanitation and environmental controls.
Facilities under this classification may distribute meat products beyond their municipalities to other provinces.
Class AAA slaughterhouses, meanwhile, are equipped with advanced or fully automated processing systems and must comply with international food safety standards, including Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) requirements, allowing them to serve export markets.
Despite the province’s lack of NMIS-accredited slaughterhouses, Tabuada assured consumers that meat products processed in locally registered facilities remain safe for consumption, provided they undergo the required inspection procedures.
He explained that LGU-designated meat inspectors examine slaughtered animals and meat products for signs of disease and other conditions that could pose risks to human health.
Consumers are encouraged to check whether meat vendors display the required meat inspection certificates in conspicuous locations at their stalls.
Such certificates provide assurance that the meat being sold has undergone inspection by authorized personnel./PN
