Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan raised alarm over smuggled and unfit-for-consumption food products possibly entering the local supply chain through restaurants.
This after alleged Chinese smuggler Chaoqun Shi admitted supplying frozen meat to Pasay eateries now closed.
Pangilinan said the Department of Agriculture had declared the seized P100-million meat haul unfit for human consumption.
“So, pati sa mga palengke hindi na ako magtataka kung may mga nakakalusot nitong mga produktong ito kung meron salmonella, meron e. coli,” he added.
He warned that local producers are also suffering because smugglers buy near-discard food in China at “salvage value,” ship it to the Philippines, and preserve it with chemicals like formalin before selling it cheaply.IMT
