Republic of the PhilippinesCongress of the PhilippinesMetro ManilaTwelfth CongressThird Regular SessionBegun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-eight day of July, two thousand three.REPUBLIC ACT N! "#"$%a& '#( #))*+AN ACT STREN,T-ENIN, T-E %EAT INSPECTIN S.STE% IN T-E CUNTR.( R/AININ,0R T-IS PURPSE A +%EAT INSPECTIN C/E 0 T-E P-ILIPPINES+ AN/ 0R T-ERPURPSES+Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:Section '! Short Title! - This Act shall be known as "The Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines."C-APTER I/ECLARATIN 0 PLIC. AN/ /E0INITINSSection #! Declaration of Policy! - it is hereby the policy of the tate:a! to pro"ulgate speci#c policies and procedures go$erning the %ow of food ani"als, "eat and "eat products through the $arious stages of "arketing and the proper preser$ation andinspection of such products&b! to ensure food security and pro$ide safety and 'uality standards for consu"er products related to agriculture to assure the protection of the public against unreasonable risks of in(ury and ha)ards to health&c! to support local go$ern"ent units in their endea$or to be self - reliant and to continue e*ercising the powers and discharging the duties and functions currently $ested upon the"&d! to strengthen and har"oni)e $arious issuances on "eat establish"ent operations and "eat inspection and at the sa"e ti"e create a fa$orable cli"ate of in$est"ent to encourage the "eat and poultry industry to put up world class "eat establish"ents&e! to pro"ote the application of risk analysis based on accepted scienti#c "ethodology on applied food safety standards so as to assure a safe and wholeso"e "eat supply.f! to support the de$elop"ent of the li$estock and poultry industry and pro"ote ani"al health by pre$enting the entry of disease - carrying ani"als, and sur$eillance of )oonotic and reportable diseases in "eat establish"ents& andg! to strengthen e*isting rules and regulations go$erning "eat i"portation to "ake the" co"prehensi$e, clear and transparent and ensure the safety and 'uality of i"ported "eat and "eat products through inspection and docu"entation.Section 1! Principles and Objectives! - The tate shall ensure the protection of hu"an and ani"al health against direct and indirect ha)ards, and in particular the protection of:a! +onsu"ers against )oonotic diseases, "eat-borne infection, into*ication and ha)ards associated with residue fro" treat"ent or e*posure of the slaughter ani"al&b! Meat handlers against occupational )oonoses&,c! -i$estock against the spread of infections, into*ications and other diseases of socio-econo"ic i"portance as detectable at "eat inspection and as consistent with the rele$ant ani"al health regulations& andd! +onsu"ers and the "eat processing industry against econo"ic losses fro" "eat of inferior 'uality or abnor"al properties.Section *! Defnition of Terms! - As used in this +ode, the following ter"s, words and phrases shall be construed to "ean as follows:,. Abattoir or slaughterhouse - pre"ises that are appro$ed and registered by the controlling authority in which food ani"als are slaughtered and dressed for hu"an consu"ption&.. Accredit - The power of the /ational Meat 0nspection er$ice 1/M0!to gi$e authority to 1a!any "eat establish"ent engaged in the slaughtering operation, preparation, processing, "anufacturing, storing, or canning of "eat and "eat products for co""erce, 1b! any i"porter, e*porter, broker, trader or "eat handler 1c! any "eat $ehicle or con$eyance 1d! any person #r", corporation as pro$ider of go$ern"ent ser$ices such as independent or third party ser$ice pro$iders, or independent or audit agencies&2. Adulterated - carcasses, or any part thereof, whether "eat or "eat product under one or "ore of the following categories&a! if it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance which "ay render it in(urious to health of the public& but in case the substance is not an added substance,such "eat and "eat product shall not be considered adulterated under this clause if the 'uantity of such substance does not ordinarily render it in(urious to health of the public&b! if it bears or contains any added poisonous or deleterious substance other than one which is 1i! a pesticide che"ical in or on a raw agricultural co""odity, 1ii! a food additi$e, 1iii! a color additi$e, for which tolerances ha$e been established and it confor"s to such tolerances&c! if it consists in whole or in part of a #lthy, putrid or deco"posed substance, or if it is otherwise un#t for hu"an consu"ption&d! if it has been prepared, packed or held under unsanitary conditions whereby it "ayha$e been conta"inated with #lth or whereby, it "ay ha$e been rendered in(urious to the health of the public&e! if it is, in whole or in part, the product of a diseased ani"al or of an ani"al which has died other than slaughter&f! if its container is co"posed, in whole or in part, of any poisonous or deleterious substance which "ay render the contents in(urious to public health&g! if its has been intentionally sub(ected to radiation, unless the use of the radiation was in confor"ity with an e*isting regulation or e*e"ption&h! if any $aluable constituent has been in whole or in part o"itted or abstracted therefro"& or if any substance has been substituted, wholly or in part& or if da"age orinferiority has been concealed in any "anner& or if any substance has been added thereto or "i*ed or packed therewith so as to increase its bulk or weight, or reduce its 'uality or strength, or "ake it appear better or of greater $alue than it is&i! if it has not been prepared in accordance with current acceptable "anufacturing practice as pro"ulgated by the ecretary by way of regulations& or(! if it has passed its e*piry date.3. Board - the Meat 0nspection Board of the /M0 as created under ection 4 hereof&5. Canning - the preser$ation of "eat in her"etically sealed containers&.4. Capable of se as Human !ood - shall apply to any carcass or any part of a carcass, of anyani"al unless it is denatured or otherwise identi#ed as re'uired by regulations prescribed bythe ecretary to deter its use as hu"an food, or it is naturally inedible by hu"ans&6. Carcass - the body of any slaughtered ani"al after bleeding and dressing&7. Commence - "eat trade between a pro$ince within the 8hilippines and any place outside thereof&9. Controlling Authority - the o:cial authority charged by the go$ern"ent with the control of"eat hygiene and "eat inspection&,;. "eputation - the authority of the /M0 to allow inspectors and "eat control o:cers e"ployed by the local go$ern"ent units to perfor" the duties of an inspector or "eat control o:cer of the /M0&,,. "isease or "efect - a pathological change or other abnor"ality&,.. !irm - any partnership, association, or other unincorporated business organi)ation&,2. !it for Human Consumption - "eat that has passed and appropriately branded by an inspector as safe and wholeso"e and in which no changes due to disease, deco"position or conta"ination ha$e subse'uently been found&,3. !resh Meat - "eat that has not yet been treated in any way other than by "odi#ed at"osphere packaging or $acuu" packaging to ensure its preser$ation e*cept that if it has been sub(ected only to refrigeration, it continues to be considered as fresh&,5. !ood Animal - all do"estic ani"als slaughtered for hu"an consu"ption such as but not li"ited to cattle, carabaos, buygiene and anitation 8rogra", ?ood Manufacturing 8ractices, anitation tandard @perating 8rocedures, >a)ard Analysis +ritical +ontrol 8oint 8rogra", and Aesidue +ontrol 8rogra", of a country. 0t co$ers regulatory acti$ities such as registration, licensing, accreditation, and enforce"ent of regulations and supported by laboratory e*a"ination&.5. Meat Product - any product capable of use as hu"an food which is "ade wholly or in part fro" any "eat or other portion of the carcass of any food ani"als, e*cepting products which contain "eat or other portions of such carcasses only in a relati$ely s"all proportion or historically ha$e not been considered by consu"ers as products of the "eat industry, andwhich are e*e"pted fro" de#nition as a "eat product by the ecretary under such conditions as he "ay prescribe to assure that the "eat or other portions of such +arcasses contained in such product are not adulterated and that such products are not represented as"eat products&.4. Misbranded - this ter" shall apply to any carcass, part thereof, "eat or "eat products where one or "ore of the following circu"stances as de#ned under the A.A. /o. 6293 1+onsu"er Act of the 8hilippines! is present:a! if its labeling is false or "isleading in any particular&b! if it is oA++8! audit&d! licensing of "eat inspectors and registration of "eat handlers&e! licensing, registration and certi#cation of "eat handlers and "eat brokers&f! licensing, registration and certi#cation of "eat and "eat products&g! i"ple"enting standards prescribed by the Bureau of Agriculture and Bisheries 8roduct tandards 1BAB8! on labeling, ad$ertising and pro"otion of "eat and "eat products..! uper$ise and control "eat inspection in all "eat establish"ents engaged in do"estic and international "eat trade&2! D$aluate, classify and accredit local and foreign "eat establish"ents as to co"pliance to hygiene and sanitation standards&3! Boster e