Worried about Pinoy pork safety but still missing your usual serving of pork favorites like sinigang na baboy, sisig, and crispy pata? Well, good news! According to the Department of Health, African Swine Fever is not a threat to humans.
Continue reading below to find out why eating pinoy pork is the safe option.
Pork lovers, rejoice!
African Swine Fever is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease of domestic and wild pigs that can be transmitted to pigs through direct or indirect contact. Despite its obvious and heavy impact on the local hog industry, the World Organization for Animal Health has confirmed that African Swine Fever impacts pigs ONLY. It does not affect humans and it is therefore not a public health threat nor a food safety concern. It also cannot be transmitted to humans through contact with pigs and pork.
However, one must still take note of the proper preparation of pork. You may still contract other harmful illnesses like E. coli and salmonella from half-cooked meat. So yes, there is no need to stop cooking and eating Pinoy pork as long as the meat is cooked thoroughly and is bought from reliable sources that bears the stamp of the National Meat Inspection Services, a specialized regulatory agency under the Department of Agriculture.
With that, here are a couple of tips that you should always keep in mind when handling pork:
- Avoid touching your face and other body parts when handling raw pork, be it fresh, chilled, thawed, or frozen. Immediately wash hands thoroughly with soap and tepid water. Same goes for surfaces and kitchen equipment that have been in contact with the raw meat.
- Use separate knives, chopping boards, and utensils for raw and ready-to-eat pork.
- Keep raw pork in well-covered containers. It should be kept in the freezer at a temperature of -18°C or below. Meanwhile ready-to-eat food should be kept in a separate part of the refrigerator to avoid cross-contamination.
- Thawed pork should be cooked as soon as possible to reduce the chance of contamination. Make sure to properly wash the meat with water before cutting or mincing.
- When cooking, the thickest or central part of the pork should be maintained at 75°C or above for at least 15 seconds. If the pork is still red in color or if there is pinkish fluid still present, return it to the heat until it is fully done.
Now that you’re well-informed about Pinoy pork safety, here’s a well-loved recipe that you can enjoy with the whole family:
Pinoy-Style Pork BBQ
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. Pork shoulder sliced into thin pieces
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup of calamansi juice
- 6 tablespoons banana ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
Instructions:
- In a large bowl marinade the pork with soy sauce, calamansi juice, banana ketchup, brown sugar, and garlic powder. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Thread the marinated pork together using bamboo skewers.
- Heat up the grill. Start grilling the pork barbecue for 3 to 5 minutes per side until the meat is cooked through. Don’t forget to baste it each side with the marinade.
- Serve with spiced vinegar and enjoy!
For more information about African Swine Fever and Pinoy pork safety, click here.
SOURCES:
https://www.pork.org/african-swine-fever-need-know/
https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_fsf/whatsnew_fsf_handing.html
