Access to safe and nutritious food is essential for good health. The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights food safety as a crucial public health issue, noting that contaminated food can cause illnesses ranging from mild to severe.

Among the foods that we buy from marketplaces and grocery stores, raw meat requires the most careful handling. At Aboitiz Foods, we believe food safety is a shared responsibility, starting with us, as producers, and continuing with you, as responsible consumers. By learning a few simple practices, you can ensure the delicious, high-quality meat you bring home remains safe for your family.

Buying Meat: A Thoughtful Start

Keep these points in mind when you’re buying meat:

• Use Your Senses:
  • Sight: The meat should have a bright, consistent color (e.g., red for beef, pink for pork and poultry) and no gray spots or discoloration. Make sure there are no packaging leaks or tears.
  • Smell: Fresh meat should have a clean smell, with only a subtle trace of meat or blood. A strong, distinct odor indicates spoilage.
  • Touch: The meat should be firm and cold to the touch. A slimy or sticky texture is a sign of bacterial growth and spoilage.
    

• Check the Label:
  Always look for the “sell-by” or “best-by” date. Never purchase meat that has expired.
  
• Look for Quality Packaging
  Ensure the packaging is intact—no tears, punctures, or leaks. Excess liquid in the packaging can be a sign of improper handling.
  
• Temperature Matters
  Make sure fresh meat feels cold to the touch and that frozen products are solid.
  
• Keep it Separate
  Place meat packages in a separate plastic bag before putting them in your shopping cart to prevent any liquids from contaminating other grocery items.

Storing Meat at Home: The Key to Freshness

Once you get home, proper storage is crucial to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Follow these steps to keep your meat safe and fresh.

• Immediate Refrigeration
  Get your perishable items, especially meat, into the refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible.
  
• Maintain the Right Temperature
  Your refrigerator should be at or below 40°F (4°C), and your freezer should be at or below 0°F (-18°C).
  
• Separate Raw from Cooked
  Always store raw meat on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator to prevent liquids from dripping onto and contaminating other foods, especially ready-to-eat items.
  
• To Freeze or Not to Freeze? If you don’t plan to cook fresh meat within 1-2 days (for ground meats and poultry) or 3-5 days (for roasts and steaks), wrap it tightly with freezer paper, aluminum foil, or a freezer bag and store it in the freezer. Remember to never refreeze thawed meat, as the temperature change will allow bacteria to proliferate.

The Aboitiz Foods Commitment: Trust from Farm to Fork

At Aboitiz Foods, we are committed to upholding the highest standards for food safety and quality. We don’t view food safety as merely a checklist; we see it as a shared responsibility across all levels of our business.

Our Tarlac Meatmasters facility is a testament to this commitment. It’s the first multi-meat processing plant in the Philippines to receive a historic Triple-A (AAA) accreditation from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) across these three categories: Slaughterhouse, Meat Cutting Plant, and Cold Storage Warehouse. This is the highest standard in the country, confirming our adherence to international benchmarks for food safety and quality.

This means that every step is rigorously controlled and monitored from the moment animals arrive at the facility to the processing and final storage of the meat. By upholding these strict standards, such as GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), and implementing technologies to ensure proper sanitation, temperature control, and biosecurity, Pilmico Farms and Tarlac Meatmasters ensure the meat you bring home is of the highest quality and safety.

So, the next time you enjoy a meal made with meats from The Good Meat or Pilmico Farms, remember you’re not just tasting a product—you’re experiencing a promise of quality and a commitment to safety that starts long before you even reach the kitchen. 

Happy cooking!

FAQS:

How does Aboitiz Foods ensure the safety and quality of the meat products I purchase?  Aboitiz Foods, through Pilmico, adheres to the highest food safety standards. Our Tarlac Meatmasters facility holds the Philippines’ highest Triple-A (AAA) accreditation from NMIS, ensuring international benchmarks like GMP and HACCP are met from farm to fork.

What does the Triple-A (AAA) accreditation of the Tarlac Meatmasters facility mean for consumers?
This Triple-A accreditation confirms that every step in our slaughterhouse, meat cutting plant, and cold storage warehouse is rigorously controlled and monitored. It assures you that the Pilmico meat you purchase meets the highest standards of quality and safety in the country.

What is the meat retail brand of Aboitiz Foods?
Through our producer brand, Pilmico, we bring our high-quality farm produce closer to you through The Good Meat brand. You can find a wide selection of fresh meat and ready-to-cook products at The Good Meat Fresh Hubs, our dedicated one-stop shops designed for convenient access to premium ingredients.