Kyrgyzstan's Veterinary Service guarantees meat safety in markets

The Veterinary, Livestock, Pastures, and Feed Development Service of Kyrgyzstan reminds everyone that meat sold in official markets and retail outlets across the country is safe.

The agency emphasizes that the country has a well-functioning animal identification and tracking system. All cattle, pigs, and horses are required to be registered: they are tagged with ear tags or microchips. All information about the owner, location, vaccinations, and diagnostic tests is entered into a single electronic database.

This control process prevents sick cattle from reaching the shelves. Before slaughter, a private veterinarian conducts a clinical examination and verifies the animal’s vaccination history, issuing an electronic certificate, Form No. 1a, with a QR code. Only with this document can the animal be transported to a specialized slaughterhouse, where specialists recheck its condition and temperature. After slaughter, the meat undergoes veterinary and sanitary inspection, receives a rectangular initial inspection stamp, and a new electronic certificate, Form No. 2.

Meat undergoes an additional safety check directly at the markets. In veterinary and sanitary inspection laboratories, specialists conduct a final inspection, after which the carcass is stamped with an oval stamp and issued a test report with a QR code. This document is the primary guarantee of safety for the consumer.

The Veterinary Service urges citizens to be vigilant and purchase meat only from authorized retailers. Buyers have every right to request a test report from the seller and scan the QR code with a smartphone to find out the date and place of slaughter, as well as the test results.

At the same time, experts warn that purchasing meat from unauthorized sources or from private sellers in rural areas, bypassing the animal identification and tracking system, can pose a serious health risk.