Saturday, October 20, 2007 Guv to meet with health execs on imported foods
THE Cebu Provincial Government will be taking “very strong actions” after the imported candy that downed more than 30 students in Madridejos tested positive of formaldehyde.
The Bureau of Food and Drugs released the results of the test conducted on two of the four candy samples that were submitted for laboratory testing.
The locally produced candy was negative of any harmful ingredient while the Almo Putok Putok made in China tested positive.
The laboratory results of the Ube Milk Candy and another imported product are yet to be released.
Thirty-seven 30 pupils of San Agustin Elementary School fell ill and were taken to the Bantayan District Hospital after allegedly eating the Ube Milk Candy from China last Oct. 4.
A classmate who was celebrating her birthday gave them the candies. Her mother bought the sweets from a store in Madridejos. The store got its supply from Carbon market in Cebu City.
‘Sugar-coated poison’
“I would like to discuss this further with the DOH (Department of Health) as well as the consul general (of China). I’ve not been given a chance but certainly we have to take very strong actions if only to protect our constituents from further exposure to these sugar-coated poisons,” Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia told reporters yesterday.
She also expects that the Chinese officials will act on this matter. The governor calls on the local government executives to monitor the sales of these candies in their respective towns and cities.
“I have been very fair and I have tried to see to it to discuss this as polite neighbors. I do expect that they will take the necessary actions also. I said from the start that we should cooperate here to prevent any future incidents of this nature,” Garcia said.
Garcia is also asking the vendors to do their share.
“I will have to call for caution. Caution is always the best action right now. Naa man uban carmelitos. Kining atong sambag nga kendi, kana usa ibaligya,” she said.
Just this week, five students from Oslob town in southern Cebu also fell ill after eating imported candies with Chinese characters on the label.
Samples have been sent to DOH for laboratory testing.
Integrated Provincial Health Office chief Cristina Giango is asking the public to carefully examine the package of imported food that they are buying.
This must contain the food registry number, expiration and manufacturing dates and the place where the product was made.
The candies from Oslob did not have these and did not even have English words except for the word “candy.” (MBG)
