DA files complaint against Chastity for misdeclaring onion imports

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has filed a complaint against Chastity Consumer Goods Trading for violating the Food Safety Act and Plant Quarantine Law by misdeclaring imported onions as processed food.

Inspectors at the Port of Subic uncovered thousands of boxes of yellow onions falsely declared as frozen fish egg balls in August 2024, leading to the filing of charges with the Olongapo City Prosecutor's Office.

The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) confirmed that the shipment contained unauthorized yellow onions without proper import clearance and found high levels of microbiological contaminants such as E. coli, making them unsafe for consumption.

Chastity Consumer Goods Trading, which is not registered with BPI, faces serious risks to food safety and local crop protection due to misdeclaration practices.

The DA approved the importation of 3,000 metric tons of red onions and 1,000 metric tons of white onions in February to stabilize prices and ensure sufficient buffer stocks before the harvest season.