CHICKEN meat being sold in the markets of Pangasinan are safe since they are sourced from local poultry farms and dressing plants.

Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Eric Perez and Dr. Cherrie Ann Javier, head of the consumer enforcement unit of the National Meat and Inspection Service (NMIS), made the assurance during the KBP Forum last week aired over DZRD.

Perez said there are 4 million broilers being raised in Pangasinan enough to meet the needs of Pangasinan.

Even the “balut”, “lechon manok” as well as “itlog na maalat” are safe for consumption, both said.

Javier said the dressed chicken being sold in the markets of Pangasinan are also sourced out from local chicken dressing plants which are being regular inspected by personnel of NMIS.

She said NMIS alerted its personnel to inspect various dressing plants immediately after the report that bird flu was discovered, to ensure that anyone bringing their fowls for dressing must present their shipping permit and veterinary health certificate.

They have been ordered that without the permits and certifications they should not be allowed entry into the dressing plant and should be turned away to return to their point of origin.

Perez added the quarantine stations in all entry points to Pangasinan had been put on alert 24/7 to ensure that no chicken from Pampanga or fowl infected with the deadly H5 virus enters Pangasinan.

The quarantine stations are located in Infanta, Mangatarem, Carmen, Rosales, Umingan, San Fabian, Sison and Bayambang.

Perez said he believes that the H5 virus found in poultry farms in San Luis, Pampanga has not recorded any animal to human transmission as he pointed out that what is lethal to human are the H1N1, H1N6 and H1N9 strains.

The samples taken from poultry farms in San Luis, Pampanga, he said, were sent to Australia for laboratory analysis to find out the kind of strain that already killed 38,000 chicken and led to the culling of more than 100,000 chickens so far.

He said that to be sure that chicken to be consumed are safe, it should be cooked thoroughly at a temperature of 70 degrees or more.

Perez also warned the public not to get close to and touch or feast on migratory birds that land on many fish ponds and rice fields in Pangasinan although he admitted that it has not been established that it was the migratory birds that brought in the avian flu virus in the Philippines.

Both Perez and Javier admitted that because of the bird flu scare, the sale of chicken meat in various markets in Pangasinan is quite slow. (Leonardo Micua/Nora Dominguez)

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