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.•.• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ECS Copy
CS'~ ~~ NATIONAL MEAT INSPECTION SERVICE
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I \ •• ~ •. No.4 Visayas Avenue, Brgy. Vasra. Quezon Cily
•..-:1 Trunk line: (02) 8-924-7980; Telefax: (02) 8-924-7973
- (€' www.nmis.Gov.ph
e-mail: nmis@nmis.gov.ph

2 February 2021

,~:wP!lt~~Ur ~b'CULAR
Series of2021

TO ALL CONCERNED

FROM THE OIC - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

SUBJECT GUIDELINES FOR THE 2021 NMIS SURVEILLANCE OF

IMPORTED INDIAN BUFFALO MEAT (IBM) AND
MECHANICALLY SEPARATED MEAT (MSM)

Pursuant to Section 3.4.6.4 of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Administrative Circular

(AC) No. 12 Series of 2015 "Updated Rules and Regulations Governing the Allocation,
Importation and Utilization of Fresh Frozen Buffalo Meat from India", Section 7 of DA
Department Circular No. 09 Series of 2015 "Procedures for the Hygienic Handling Practices
and Use of Mechanically Separated Meat (MSM)" and NMIS Memorandum Circular No. 04-
2018-010 Series of 2018 "NMIS Surveillance Program for Imported Meat", this surveillance
guideline for IBM and MSM is issued for the guidance of all concerned.

RATIONALE/OBJECTIVES
The results of the surveillance program shall be used in the risk assessment and profiling of
importers and foreign meat establishments.

I. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. NMIS Personnel
1. The Meat Import Export Division (MIED) staff shall monitor the daily
arrivals of IBM and MSM, through the use ofthe DA Trade System. The
NMIS Plant Officer (PO) shall be informed ofthe shipment/container's
arrival and identified container for sampling through the guidance of
the concerned RTOC Meat Import Export Section (MIES) Focal.
2. The assigned PO shall identify and collect the samples during
unloading of the commodities at the approved designated Cold
Storage Warehouse (CSW).
3. The MIES Focal shall collect and transport to the Central Meat
Laboratory (CML) or Regional Technical Operation Center (RTOC)
Satellite Laboratories the collected samples, following the approved
transport procedure.
4. The CML and RTOC Satellite Laboratories shall release the laboratory
results to MIED for purposes of profiling of foreign meat
establishments and importers. MIED will in turn provide the copies of
the laboratory results to RTOC who shall be responsible in furnishing
the concerned importers with the said laboratory results.
5. The MIED, with the assistance of the Information Technology Section,
shall create and maintain a database for the results of the surveillance
program.
6. The Technical Working Group (TWG) shall evaluate the results of the
surveillance and submit report to the Office of the Executive Director.

NMIS is ISO 9001:2015 Certified

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 B. Importer and Cold Storage Warehouse Personnel
1. The importer/duly assigned personnel shall notify the NMIS MIED
and RTOC prior to the arrival of the shipment at the port of entry, for
proper coordination with the assigned PO.
2. The importer/duly assigned personnel/CSW personnel shall follow
prescribed regulations and procedures on meat inspection at the CSW.
3. The importer/duly assigned personnel/CSW quality control officer
shall be present during the sample collection.
4. The importer/duly assigned personnelfCSW personnel shall provide
utility worker / s or any personnel who will assist the PO to expedite
sample collection in order to prevent adulteration.
5. The CSW personnel shall ensure that designated sampling room to be
used by the PO during collection of samples must be clean and
functional.
6. The CSW personnel shall provide an identified and secured area at the
CSW for samples which cannot be transported immediately.

II. PROCEDURESON COLLECTIONOF SAMPLESAND SAMPLINGPLAN

A. Procedures on the collection, total number of samples, transport and storage
of IBM and MSMsamples obtained during import inspection
• To ensure integrity of the collected laboratory samples, MIES Focal shall be
in charge on the collection and transport of the laboratory samples.
• For IBM and MDM shipment with the same production date, clearance
from MIED staff shall be secured prior to collection of samples.
• Photocopy of eVQMILC shall be submitted together with the collected
samples for proper identification of NMIS Laboratory Division staff.
• A minimum of seven hundred (700) samples shall be collected for MSM
and three hundred (300) samples shall be collected for IBM arrivals.
• Random samples shall be taken for Micro Inhibition Test and Meat Species
Identification
• Before each collection, the sampling area shall be properly cleaned and
disinfected. The bandsaw and its blade shall be cleaned and disinfected with
alcohol and chlorinated water prior to use for every batch or lot (container
van).
• Each sample shall be placed in a sealed sterile storage bag and should be
properly labeled.
• The PO shall duly accomplish the NMIS Laboratory Request Form (see
attached ANNEX A) and label (see ANNEX B) upon submission of the
samples.
• The samples shall be kept in an insulated container (e.g. ice chest, etc.) with
suitable refrigerant to prevent thawing and should be transported to the
Central Meat Laboratory or concerned RTOC Satellite Laboratory as soon as
possible. In the event that it cannot be transported immediately, it should be
stored in an identified and secured area of the CSW.
• The collected samples shall be submitted to the following assigned
laboratory:

Re ion Laborato
NCR Central Meat Laborator
3 RTOC III Satellite Laborator
4A RTOC IVASatellite Laborato
XI RTOC XI Satellite Laborato

NMIS is ISO 9001:2015 Certified

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 B. Sampling Plan and Analysis of IBM
• The following approved establishments of India based on DA Department
Order No. 12 Series of 2020 "Accreditation of Six (6) Foreign Meat
Establishments (FMEs) of India as Exporter of Frozen Indian Buffalo Meat
into the Philippines under AHTN Code 0202.30.00" shall be included in the
2021 surveillance activity;
1. MIS AI-Kabeer Exports Pvt. Ltd. - APEDA EST No. 16
2. MIS Frigerio Conserva Allana Private Ltd. - APEDA EST No. 21
3. MIS Frigorifico Allana Private Limited - APEDA EST No. 23
4. MIS Fair Exports (India) Pvt. Ltd. - APEDA EST No. 183
5. MIS Vizag Foods Pvt. Ltd. - APEDA EST No. 187
6. MIS Al Quresh Exports - APEDA EST No. 71
• Upon lifting of suspension, the following eleven (11) FMEs of Indian Buffalo
Meat in Uttar Pradesh, India, they shall be automatically included in the 2021
surveillance activity:
1. MIS AI-Hamd Agro Food Products Pvt. Ltd. - APEDA EST No. 66
2. MIS International Agro Foods - APEDA EST No. 180
3. MIS Frigerio Conserva Allana Private Limited - APEDA EST No. 121
4. Al Nasir Exports Private Limited - APEDA EST No. 161
5. Fair Exports (India) Pvt. Ltd. - APEDA EST No. 68
6. Al Rehman Frozen Food - APEDA EST No. 106
7. Fair Exports (India) Pvt. Ltd. (Formerly MIS Amroon Foods Pvt. Ltd.)
- APEDA EST No. 42
8. MIS AOV Exports Private Limited - APEDA EST No. 133
9. Mash Agro Private Limited - APEDA EST No. 150
10. MIS Indagro Foods Private Limited - APEDA EST No. 36
11. MIS Agricom Foods Private Limited - APEDA EST No. 67

C. Sampling Plan and Analysis of MSM

• The following are the approved countries to export MSM into the Philippines
which shall be included in the 2021 surveillance activity:
1. Netherlands
2. Brazil
3. United States of America
4. Belgium
5. Canada
6. Poland
7. United Kingdom
8. Australia
9. France
10. Turkey
• In the event that there will be arrivalls from four (4) FMEs that had no MSM
Export record in 2020, the following countries shall be automatically
included in the 2021 surveillance activity:
1. Denmark
2. Ireland
3. New Zealand
4. Hungary
• In the event that the temporary ban to export Poultry Meat (including MSM)
will be lifted, these two (2) countries shall be automatically included in the
2021 surveillance activity as follows:
1. Germany

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 2. Australia

D. The PO shall collect five (5) samples of 250 grams each, from randomly selected
areas per container van. The random selection of the five (5) boxes for sample
collection shall be from strategically identified areas of the container van: 1 sample
from the back end, 1 sample from the middle, 1 sample on each side of the
container van and 1 sample from the front end.

SIDE

1 sample

1
BACK 1 sample FRONT
1 sample sample

1 sample

SIDE

• For POLYBLOCKS item, the random selection of five (5) samples to be

collected shall be those that are located at the topmost part of each pallet
from the identified areas of the container van.

E. Laboratory Tests, Results and Assessment

• The samples of IBM and MSM shall be tested for the following:
1. Microbial identification/isolation
a. Salmonella sp.
b. E. coli
c. Total Plate Count
• NMIS Memorandum Circular No. 9-2008-5 Series of 2008, "Guidelines on the
Assessment of Microbiological Quality of Fresh, Chilled and Frozen Meaf'
shall serve as the basis for the assessment of microbial
identificatio nf isolation.

F. Timeline of Activities
ACTIVITY TENT ATIVE SCHEDULE
Collection and Testing of Samples April 01, 202l-December 2021
Evaluation of data and drafting of report January 2022 - March 2022
Submission and Approval of Report June 2022

For information and com~liance.

VADOR, DVM, MPM

NMIS is ISO 9001:2015 Certified

"5\ food--sec u re 'l'fii(iyyi nes wit/1.prosye rous fa rme rs a ndfis/1e rfo(k"

 2. Australia

D. The PO shall collect five (5) samples of 250 grams each, from randomly selected
areas per container van. The random selection of the five (5) boxes for sample
collection shall be from strategically identified areas of the container van: 1 sample
from the back end, 1 sample from the middle, 1 sample on each side of the
container van and 1 sample from the front end.

SIDE

1 sample

1
BACK 1 sample FRONT
1 sample sample

1 sample

SIDE

• For POLYBLOCKS item, the random selection of five (5) samples to be

collected shall be those that are located at the topmost part of each pallet
from the identified areas of the container van.

E. Laboratory Tests, Results and Assessment

• The samples of IBM and MSM shall be tested for the following:
1. Microbial identification/isolation
a. Salmonella sp.
b. E. coli
c. Total Plate Count
• NMIS Memorandum Circular No. 9-2008-5 Series of 2008, "Guidelines on the
Assessment of Microbiological Quality of Fresh, Chilled and Frozen Meat'
shall serve as the basis for the assessment of microbial
iden tification/ isolation.

F. Timeline of Activities
ACTIVITY TENTATIVESCHEDULE
Collection and Testing of Samples April 01, 2021-December 2021
Evaluation of data and drafting of report January 2022 - March 2022
Submission and Approval of Report June 2022

For information and compliance.

IOCE 1
Q
Y!Jk: SALVADOR, DVM, MPM ~
~ NMIS is ISO 9001:2015 Certified

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