Tuesday, October 07, 2008 Editorial: Modernize: The only way to go
MONDAY night's television news mentioned something about the need to modernize the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) so that it can cope with the demands of the times. And we say, this should have long been on top of the list of government who always gloat over their modernization programs to make the country globally competitive but has never delivered on such promise.
Globalization of Philippine economy, in fact, should have been partnered with state-of-the-art science and technology support as joining the global economy means standing, head to head, toe to toe, and gnashing teeth to gnashing teeth with all other economies competing for the biggest profit and market share.
This profit and market share competition may even entail unscrupulous actions, which to majority of us may seem unthinkable, but to some may not even trigger any qualms.
Like melamine.
It is unthinkable for most of Filipinos, including the so-called half-ones (half-Chinese, half-American, half-German, half-whatever), to think up a scheme, using industrial-grade chemical on food, to distort chemical checks of nutrition content such that a watered down version of milk will still appear high in protein content. It just isn't done. That's what the regular Pinoy will say, while the more unscrupulous ones may put in some extenders that are as milky and edible but not as expensive as milk. Very much like how we have developed the taste for "native coffee" that is actually made of 9/10 roasted corn to 1/10 roasted coffee. There's less coffee because coffee beans are really more expensive, the roasted corn makes the resultant coffee brew aromatic, and both ingredients are edible. The end-result, a cheaper coffee drink.
The even more unscrupulous Pinoy will increase the moisture content of copra by pouring water on it so that it will weigh more when sold to the wholesaler. It's very bad for the end-quality, but it's still just water.
But mixing a chemical that's made into formica boards and stuff you line your kitchen sets with in infant formula? Definitely unthinkable, for us. But when you go global, you will get to meet even more unthinkable practices.
Melamine in milk wasn't the first time melamine found its way in food. It's just that, the earlier scandal involved pet food. Infants, pets, the pet lovers among us will say there isn't much difference in how we treat them, with love and care, and we expect all those global companies to regard the consumers with equal care, as well. Think again.
While we opened our doors to all these products, enticingly cheap but questionably-made, government has not seen it appropriate to pour funds as well for its testing agencies; giving more emphasis on friendly trade relations instead of its people's safety.
The past few years, however, should teach us what is of prime importance. In this world that's trying to grab the biggest market share, consumer welfare is always but a second thought, such that consumer welfare is the sole lookout of the governments on its own people.
A BFAD that takes over a month to test 200 milk-based products is not an agency that can look out for its people who are faced with thousands of new imported food, cosmetics, health, and a million more consumer products every day.
