IAM formulates pandemic prevention plan for slaughterhouse to ensure stable supply of fresh pork
To stabilise the supply and price of fresh pork in Macao, the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) and the Macau Slaughter House Ltd. have jointly adopted a series of pandemic prevention measures at the slaughterhouse. In addition to requiring the staff of the slaughterhouse to get vaccinated against novel coronavirus, they are also required to undergo nucleic tests every 48 hours in compliance with the Macao Special Administrative Region Government’s requirement for nucleic acid testing for staff of the cold chain food industry, obtain green health code and measure their body temperature before work and continuously strengthen the cleaning and disinfection of the slaughterhouse. A pandemic prevention contingency plan has also been formulated, which will be immediately launched once a local confirmed case of novel coronavirus is discovered. The slaughterhouse staff are required to work in two groups on alternate shifts, so as to avoid the quarantine isolation of all staff owing to confirmed cases of certain staff and ensure the normal operation of the slaughterhouse.
To determine the effectiveness of the plan and strengthen the resilience of the different departments of the slaughterhouse, IAM and the Macau Slaughter House Ltd. ran pressure tests on the different slaughtering processes with half the number of staff yesterday (April 5). The pig slaughtering process was smooth.
Technicians work in alternate groups to prioritise supply of live pigs
To become better prepared for emergencies, IAM and the Macau Slaughter House Ltd. have jointly formulated a pandemic prevention plan. Meanwhile, testing and inspection is also an important step to ensure the food safety of fresh meat. Once the plan is launched, IAM inspection staff will also be divided into two groups to strictly carry out inspections on site.
As the staff of the slaughterhouse are divided into two groups that work alternately and manpower of the slaughterhouse is reduced by half when the contingency plan is launched, the slaughter time of live pigs will be extended. To prioritise the stable supply of live pigs, the supply of other by-products such as pig’s blood will be suspended, and the slaughtering of live cows will also be affected to a certain extent.
In addition, once a staff member is confirmed to be infected or is listed as a close contact of the infected, operation of the slaughterhouse is required to be suspended. The slaughterhouse can only be reopened after the slaughterhouse environment is immediately cleaned and disinfected, and sample tests show no abnormalities. In this case, the slaughter of live pigs and cows will be affected. IAM will strive to reopen the slaughterhouse as soon as possible to reduce the impact on market supply.
Fresh meat accounts for 20% of the market and chilled and frozen meat supply is abundant
Currently, the majority of meat supply in the local pork consumer market is frozen meat, with fresh pork only accounting for 20 percent. The supply of chilled and frozen pork in Macao is abundant. IAM will continue to maintain close contact with the relevant departments in Mainland China, Nam Yue (Group) Co. Ltd. and Nam Kwong (Group) Company Limited, which are the suppliers of live pigs in Macao, and the Macau Slaughter House Ltd. to timely adjust the measures according to the changes of the pandemic.
