WHILE business establishments based in the national and regional levels are strictly monitored by government agencies for milk products from China, the local office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) declared there are no such banned goods in the shelves of stores in Negros Oriental.

DTI officials made the announcement after conducting thorough and rigid inspections on establishments in the cities of Bais, Dumaguete, Tanjay, Bayawan, and the towns of Basay and Sta. Catalina.

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"The province of Negros Oriental is negative of Chinese-made milk products," declared DTI officials after wrapping up their investigation and inspection.

It is the DTI's Center for Consumer Welfare, in coordination with the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) and the Department of Health (DOH), which made the rounds to check if some dairy and milk products from China suspected of containing melamine are sold in stores and supermarkets.

Melamine is a toxic substance used to manufacture pesticides and plastics and it has caused deaths and kidney ailments of infants in China.

Last week, BFAD issued a list of more than 50 China-made dairy and milk products that were subject for testing.

Initial tests showed that only two so far tested positive of melamine. (EBS)

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(October 8, 2008 issue)
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