Philippines approves safety outline for livestock, dairy supply

The implementation of a measure seeking to reduce the level of drug residues in food now has a framework to go by after the Department of Agriculture (DA) approved and published its implementing guidelines.

The DA has issued Administrative Order (AO) 24, series of 2009, or the Implementing Guidelines on the National Drug Residues Control Program in Foods.

The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said the crafting of the implementing guidelines is pursuant to AO 14, series of 2006, titled ''Implementation of the National Veterinary Drug Residues Control Program and Creation of the Inter-agency Committee.''

The National Veterinary Drug Residues Control Program was approved by former agriculture secretary Domingo Panganiban. Former agriculture secretary Arthur Yap approved the implementing guidelines.

The programme is currently implemented by the BAI, National Meat Inspection Service, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the National Dairy Authority. These agencies are attached to the DA.

The presence of drug residues, particularly in livestock and dairy products, is a matter of concern for foreign trading partners. Singapore, for one, wanted to ensure that pork from Mindanao will be free from drug residues.

Apart from the Office Internationale des Epizooties' (OIE) declaration that Luzon is already free from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), the government is also looking at its drug-residues control programme as a way of assuring trading partners that Philippine meat products are safe.

So far, the Philippines has yet to start its shipments of pork to Singapore. In December 2008, the DA decided to hold the shipment of two 40-footer vans containing some 50,000 tonnes bound for Singapore as a precautionary measure.