Food supply: PHIs downplay risk of contamination
Large farms still under review The Sri Lanka Public Health Inspectors’ (PHIs) Union is downplaying the risk of meat from dead animals entering the market from small and medium-sized farms impacted by recent floods, noting that there is at present no risk of the harmful meat entering the market.
PHIs’ Union Secretary C. Muthukuda, speaking to The Sunday Morning, said PHIs had investigated the most affected farms in this sector.
“Amidst the investigations, any animals that died in the floods have already been withdrawn according to health safety methods. For now, there is no risk of the harmful meat entering the market,” Muthukuda opined.He clarified, however, that the same assurance could not be given for large-scale commercial farms yet, adding that the union was yet to be officially informed of large-scale farms being affected.“If there are any, they will do investigations on them immediately,” he added.
However, reports on social media point to multiple poultry farms being inundated and much of their stock perishing in the water.The statement follows a warning from the World Health Organization (WHO) to Sri Lanka on managing animals that have died due to flooding.
The WHO has advised against touching dead fish and has recommended consulting PHIs before handling any animal carcasses, citing health hazards if such meat were to enter the market.Muthukuda also acknowledged challenges in investigating large farms but indicated that initial steps had been taken.