BUTUAN CITY - To reinforce food safety and ensure the delivery of safe and quality meat products to consumers, the Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC) XIII, in partnership with the National Meat Inspection Service – Regional Technical Operation Center (NMIS-RTOC) XIII, officially started the Basic Meat Inspection Course (BMIC) 2026, which will run from July 1 to 29, 2026.
The intensive 20-day training brings together 20 participants from various Local Government Units (LGUs) across the Caraga Region. Throughout the course, participants will undergo a combination of classroom discussions, practical exercises, field demonstrations, and hands-on learning experiences designed to strengthen their competencies in basic meat inspection.
Designed to develop competent meat inspectors, it covers the fundamental principles of meat inspection and the respective roles of LGUs and NMIS in ensuring food safety. Participants will also gain a deeper understanding of meat establishment classifications, inspection procedures, meat science, food animal anatomy and physiology, and diseases affecting livestock and poultry.
Participants will study meat microbiology, hygiene and sanitation practices, and internationally recognized quality assurance systems such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). These topics are essential in maintaining the safety and quality of meat products throughout the production chain.
They will perform a series of hands-on activities which will cover ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections, conduct livestock pregnancy diagnosis, and carry out meat inspection procedures in actual slaughterhouses and market enforcement activities. They will also visit at least two livestock and poultry slaughterhouses and one cold storage facility, giving them firsthand experience in applying inspection standards in real-world settings.
In addition, the training covers humane handling and slaughter of food animals, post-meat establishment inspection procedures, enforcement protocols, and the laws and regulations governing meat inspection in the country.
