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The Philippines is now eligible to export certified beef, carabeef, pork, chevon, mutton, and their by-products to Japan
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The Philippines was included on May 26, 2021 by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) in its list of certified countries that reliably take Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)-based hygiene management
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Under Japan’s Food Sanitation Law, only meat manufactured with HACCP-based hygiene management can be imported into the country
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The MHLW has also notified its quarantine stations about the acceptance of the health certificates for the different meat commodities
The Philippines is now eligible to export certified beef, carabeef, pork, chevon, mutton, and their by-products to Japan, according to the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS).
This is after the Philippines was confirmed and included on May 26, 2021 by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) in its list of certified countries that reliably take Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)-based hygiene management.
Under Japan’s Food Sanitation Law, only meat manufactured with HACCP-based hygiene management can be imported into the country.
NMIS noted that the Philippines has been exporting chicken meat to Japan, but with this new recognition, the Philippines is now eligible to export beef, carabeef, pork, chevon, mutton, and their by-products to Japan.
The MHLW has also notified its quarantine stations about the acceptance of the health certificates for the different meat commodities.
NMIS officer-in-charge executive director Dr. Jocelyn Salvador said this move meant that Japan “[relies] upon and trust our systems of certification.”
It meant that if the Philippines certifies certain meat establishments and meat products, Japan would automatically accept this certification “without a doubt,” Salvador noted. But this does not mean that the Philippines just submitted the requirements to be certified, as Japan also has a verification process, which the Philippines passed, Salvador said.
“It also implies that the systems of certification of the Philippines are at par with the global standards,” she added.
Since 2003, NMIS has implemented the mandatory application of the HACCP program in all licensed “AAA” meat establishments. NMIS said the internationally recognized program is a science-based system that identifies hazards and the measures for controlling them to ensure the safety of food.
