BACOLOD CITY – An ordinance mandating strict compliance of all poultry dressing plants and poultry processing plants being undertaken in markets, stores, and other establishments to be sold for human consumption within the City of Bacolod, was approved by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on third and final reading recently.
Authored by Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. and co-authored by Councilors Homer Bais and Caesar Distrito, the ordinance will be formally known as the “Poultry Dressing and Processing Plants Compliance Ordinance of Bacolod City.”
The ordinance ensures that all poultry-related businesses strictly comply with existing local and national laws, rules and regulations thus, protecting public health by minimizing or eliminating environmental hazards such as foul odors, fly and mosquito infestations, and water pollution commonly associated with poultry processing operations.
Poultry slaughtering, under this ordinance, will only be allowed within the “Poultry Slaughtering Centers”, which are abattoirs or slaughterhouses primarily dealing in poultry meat, and strictly bans the cutting or processing of poultry carcasses in public places such as roads, streets, parking areas, and open spaces.
The City Veterinary Office (CVO), particularly its Meat Inspection Section, will ensure that poultry products are fit for human consumption; the City Health Office will monitor sanitation and working conditions inside poultry establishments to ensure public safety, while the Business Permits and Licensing Office will oversee compliance with business permit and licensing requirements; while legal actions against violators will be handled by the City Legal Office, with additional support from other departments as directed by the city mayor.
To reinforce animal welfare, the ordinance authorizes the deputization of Animal Welfare Officers who will monitor the treatment of birds before and during slaughter operations.
All non-edible by-products from dressing and processing of poultry plants, such as blood, visceral contents, hairs, feathers, beak, and claws, are waste products and should be kept in appropriately marked and sealed containers before being submitted for collection by the city waste management personnel, it said.
Violators of the ordinance will face various penalties ranging from notices of violation, fines, confiscation of products, suspension or cancellation of business permits, and possible imprisonment depending on the severity and repetition of offenses, the ordinance said.
Establishments operating without proper registration may face closure and confiscation of products, while repeated violations may lead to criminal charges; individuals caught processing poultry in public areas or improperly disposing of waste may also be fined or jailed, it added. (Chrysee Semillano via tvds)