Friday, October 19, 2007 Candy samples from Oslob sent to Bfad
THE Integrated Provincial Health Office sent samples of the imported candies from Oslob town, southern Cebu to the Bureau of Food and Drugs for content examination.
IPHO Chief Cristina Giango said they have also informed the Chinese consulate office about the incident and gave them a sample of the candy.
However, Giango said that it is not yet confirmed if the candies came from China because there is no English word in the package except for the word “Candy.”
The package has foreign markings and Giango could not tell what the characters are.
They are also checking if there are other factors that caused the five kids to become ill, as there are several others who have eaten the candies but did not complain.
Five pupils from Oslob were taken to the town’s district hospital after complaining of stomach pain and vomitting some three hours after eating the candies.
The three were sent home after a check up at the out-patient department while the two others were confined, but only for less than 12 hours.
Giango said the case in Oslob is different with that in Madridejos town, northern Cebu where all the students, who ate the Ube Milk Candy, fell ill and were brought to the hospital.
In Oslob, only a few of the several students who ate the candies fell ill, which made them suspect that there must be other factors that caused the discomfort.
But the other stocks of candies sold by a vendor near the school were all pulled out.
The candies were brought from a shop in Carbon Public Market in Cebu City. (MBG)
