Members of the public are being urged to avoid consuming chicken meat that came from a container which washed ashore at Hellshire beach in St. Catherine on Thursday.

This after videos showing persons taking the food item from the damaged container began circulating on social media.

The agriculture ministry has advised against consuming, selling, or distributing the chicken products.

In a statement, the ministry said the chicken, labelled under the Brazilian brand Perdix, was not intended for the Jamaican market.

The ministry and collaborating state agencies confirmed that the container fell from a vessel while in transit to the Cayman Islands.

Despite this, there have been widespread reports of looting by members of the public.

The ministry, through its veterinary services division, has not approved this shipment for entry into Jamaica.

As such, the chicken meat does not meet Jamaica’s safety standards and has not received the necessary import permits under the animal diseases and importation act.

Additionally, the contents of the container would not have been maintained under ideal cold-chain, or frozen, conditions, raising serious concerns about food safety and spoilage.

The ministry said the highly pathogenic avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu, continues to be a growing global threat.

As such, unverified poultry products pose a serious risk to human and animal health, and threatens the integrity of Jamaica’s poultry industry.

Persons who may have taken any of the products are being strongly advised to avoid consuming them or feeding their animals with them.

Instead, citizens are urged to immediately contact their local public health department for guidance on safe disposal.

The public is also urged to report any instances of sale or distribution of these products to the relevant authorities.