Friday, September 26, 2008 Superstore recalls China-made choco By Carlo P. Mallo
ONE of the largest supermarkets in Southern Mindanao has pulled out from its shelves not only China-made milk products, but also chocolate drinks and candies which were also imported from that country.
SM Supermarket at SM City Davao cleared its shelves Thursday of milk and chocolate products imported from mainland China following the contamination of some of its infant formulas with the toxic chemical melamine.
In an interview with Sun.Star Davao, Jan Meynard Gan, SM City Davao brand manager, said they are no longer selling imported dairy products from China starting Thursday.
He said SM Supermarket also put on hold chocolate drinks and candies pending result of tests conducted on these products suspected to have also been contaminated with melamine.
"Even before the news broke out, we already pulled out some dairy products from China. Our supermarket is already 'China milk free'," Gan said.
He said they have banned the selling of milk products from China, with the following brands: Yi Li, Meng Niu, Vita Soy and Jolly Cow.
He added they put on hold China-made chocolate candies with brands M & M, Snickers, Dove and Anchor Wham and chocolate cereal drink Vitamax.
The Bureau of Food and Drugs (Bfad) has called for a strict monitoring of imported dairy products from China after two infants in the mainland were killed after drinking melamine contaminated milk manufactured by Sanlu Group.
Other countries importing dairy products from China have also banned dairy products coming in from the country.
Meanwhile, a health advisory coming from Bfad-Southern Mindanao showed that the agency directed all licensed importers and distributors of registered China-produced milk to temporarily stop further selling of said items until there is assurance of product safety and fitness for human consumption.
Bfad-11 is still in the process of collecting samples for laboratory tests and analysis at their main office in Metro Manila. (CPM)
