Friday, July 20, 2007 Editorial: Better safe than sorry
THE recent discovery by the Bureau of Food and Drug (BFAD) of contaminated products imported from China that are potentially harmful to humans may only be the proverbial tip of the iceberg.
The BFAD has issued an advisory which warns the public against eating four contaminated Chinese food products: White Rabbit Cream Candy; Milk Candy; Bairong Grape Biscuits, and Yong Kang Foods Grape Biscuits. Tests have showed that these products are positive for formaldehyde, a disinfectant linked to cancer in humans.
A test made on a brand of toothpaste manufactured in China showed the presence of a cooling agent, another harmful ingredient. People who brush with this brand of toothpaste won't definitely find it "cool" if we go by the language of the young.
Having opened a Pandora's box as it were, the BFAD has embarked on the tedious process of testing all 861 registered products from China, along with others not yet registered. These are in the form of candies, biscuits, toothpastes, cosmetics and assorted food items.
Authorities in mainland China have reacted by banning certain Philippine-made products, thereby straining a bit relations between the two countries.
However, the BFAD is on the right track and ought to continue with its testing. The health and well-being of our countrymen takes precedence over commerce protocol anytime.
Until as such time as the BFAD has cleared China-made food and drug products for entry into our shores, prudence dictates that Filipino consumers refrain from patronizing them. Hence, major supermarkets and malls have been ordered to remove these items from their shelves until there is evidence proving that they are fit for human consumption.
The Philippines is only the latest among several countries which have cracked down on Chinese products since the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) found out last April that dogs and cats had been poisoned by tainted Chinese pet food ingredients.
It may take time for the BFAD to finish examining all China-made products. But the waiting will be worth it, thanks to the quick action of the BFAD.
