COTABATO CITY (PNA) – The National Meat Inspection Services (NMIS) in Central Mindanao issued over the weekend an alert to meat consumers to be on guard against the proliferation of double-dead meat in public markets in the region.

Double-dead meat comes from animals that died naturally or due to sickness but were still passed off as butchered meat products.

Ariel Billanes, head of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA’s) NMIS based in Koronadal City, issued the warning due to increasing cases of large animals like cattle, carabaos, and goats, among others, that are dying due to the dry spell.

Farmers might butcher the large animals that succumbed to the El Niño dry spell and sell them to the public, he said.

“It's against the law and very dangerous to human beings,” said Billanes, stressing that animals that died due to dehydration should not be sold to the public.

He advised farmers to bury the dead animals instead of selling them at low prices.

Billanes also advised consumers to check and verify if the meat sold at the public market bear the inspection seal of the NMIS, which certifies meat products as good for consumption.

To avoid food poisoning, double-dead meat should be properly disposed, he said.