THE Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) has filed charges against Chastity Consumer Goods Trading for allegedly misdeclaring imported onions as processed food.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced over the weekend that the complaint was lodged with the Olongapo City Prosecutor’s Office for violations of the Food Safety Act and the Plant Quarantine Law of 1978.
The DA statement explained that the shipment was declared as “frozen fish egg balls,” bypassing BPI jurisdiction.
However, an inspection revealed thousands of cartons of yellow onions, which are subject to BPI regulations. The inspection, prompted by “derogatory information” suggesting undeclared agricultural products, was a joint effort by BPI, the Bureau of Customs (BOC), and other port authorities.
The BOC seized 6,395 stacks of yellow onions found to contain high levels of microbiological contaminants, including E. coli, rendering them unfit for human consumption. Penalties under the Food Safety Act include fines ranging from P50,000 to P500,000, potential business license suspension or revocation, and imprisonment.
