Health inspectors warn public vs spoiled meat as power outages persist

The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.’s Bureau of Environmental Health is urging residents to be extra cautious when buying meat and other perishable goods, as prolonged power outages following Super Typhoon Sinlaku continue to affect food safety across Saipan.

Davian Joelle Atalig, an environmental health technician with the Environmental Health Disease Prevention unit, said they have been monitoring stores struggling to keep products at safe temperatures.

“Since Typhoon Sinlaku, all our power is out, so generators…some stores don’t have generators. They’ve been selling their meat, frozen goods at 50% off and some are giving away,” she said during an inspection at a Salvation Army distribution site.

Atalig said their team has been going around to check compliance, particularly on whether businesses can maintain proper food storage conditions.

“If they are not able to ensure that the food is in proper temperatures, we instruct them to discard it or sell them for 50% off,” she said. “But if we observe that the meat in there is not good to sell, we just ask them to dispose of it, especially chicken, pork or beef, because it’s more prone to foodborne illnesses.”

So far, Atalig said enforcement has focused more on guidance than penalties.

“For my assessments, no,” she said when asked if any stores had been cited. “We’ve just given them instructions, yes, notices.”

She also warned consumers to rely on their senses when deciding whether food is still safe.

“For customers, if you’re going to stores and if you look at the meat, if you see that it’s thawed out or it’s bleeding or the meat is leaking onto the other foods, I wouldn’t buy it. I wouldn’t chance it.”

Atalig said inspections of restaurants have not yet begun but are expected.

“For restaurants, I have not gone to any restaurants…eventually, yes.”

The Environmental Health Disease Prevention unit is tasked with ensuring that all food and drink establishments in the CNMI operate under sanitary conditions. Its responsibilities include conducting routine inspections, issuing sanitary permits, and grading establishments based on compliance with food safety standards.