Poultry products from Japan now allowed to enter PH

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The Department of Agriculture (DA) lifted the temporary ban on poultry products coming from Japan as the risk of contracting bird flu is “negligible.”

Per Memorandum Order No. 31, the import ban imposed six months ago on wild and domestic birds, including poultry products from Japan, is recalled effective immediately.

“Based on the evaluation of the [DA], the risk of contamination from importing live poultry, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen is negligible,” the memo dated July 23 read.

The agency made the issuance as Japan is now free from avian influenza.

It cited Japanese authorities’ report to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) which said all reported highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cases had ended with resolved status and no additional outbreaks were reported after June 2.

Japan first notified the WOAH in November last year of the outbreak affecting domestic birds.

The DA then issued MO No. 4 in January this year temporarily barring the entry of poultry from the East Asian country. HPIA is a disease that is highly contagious and often deadly in poultry and can be transmitted by wild birds to domestic poultry and other bird and animal species, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Back home, the Philippines is still battling the disease, with the latest Bureau of Animal Industry (BIA) tally showing there are ongoing cases in Pampanga and Benguet provinces as of July 26.

The BAI also said it has yet to receive official reports on an alleged outbreak in Tarlac.