DA: 25 metric tons of smuggled onions with possible fecal contamination to be destroyed

Metro Manila, Philippines - A 25-metric ton shipment of smuggled onions from China will be destroyed over possible fecal contamination, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said on Sunday, July 6.

Samples of the onions, seized at the Mindanao International Container Terminal last month, tested positive for Escherichia coli bacteria, prompting the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to recommend destroying the product.

“The presence of E. coli at borderline indicates possible fecal contamination, often associated with poor sanitary conditions during handling and post-harvest practices, and may pose potential health risks if not addressed,” the BPI reported to Tiu Laurel.

“Should this be distributed to consumers, there will be a possible increased growth which may increase health risk to consumers especially when eaten raw and uncooked,” the BPI said.

Customs regulations state contaminated perishable goods must be destroyed, sent back to the shipper, or transported to another country.

“Clearly, these onions aren’t fit for human consumption,” Tiu Laurel said.

The onion shipment, misdeclared as processed foods, arrived in the Philippines on May 26. The local consignee was Latinx Consumer Goods Trading.