Meat imports from Turkey suspended after foot and mouth disease outbreak

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it has temporarily banned meat from Turkey made from animals prone to contracting foot and mouth disease (FMD).

In Memorandum Order No. 42, the DA cited reports of an FMD outbreak in Turkey.

Turkish authorities reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health an outbreak of FMD affecting domestic cattle in September.

FMD is highly transmissible and causes lesions and lameness in cattle, sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed animals. The disease does not affect humans.

“There is a need to prevent the entry of FMD to protect the health of the local animal population,” the DA added.

It added that all shipments coming from Turkey already in transit, loaded, or accepted at port will be allowed provided that the animals from which the products were derived were slaughtered or produced before Aug. 26.

The DA said that it also suspended the processing, evaluation of the application and issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary import clearances of meat from Turkey.

In October 2023, the DA lifted the ban on imports of poultry and its byproducts from Turkey after birds there were declared free of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza or bird flu. — Adrian H. Halili