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Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Food bureau to test 'White Rabbit' for melamine
MANILA -- The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) is set to test anew Chinese-manufactured candy, White Rabbit, if it is positive of melamine.
BFAD Director Leticia Gutierrez said they would look into the ingredients of candies manufactured by Guang Sheng Yuan Co. Ltd. after Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) found traces of melamine in it.
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"We heard something about that so our inspectors will be collecting samples and we will be testing it," she said.
On Monday, the AVA found White Rabbit candies positive of melamine contents, which is the same chemical found to be the cause of illness that has affected up to 53,000 Chinese infants.
Melamine contamination was found positive in the products of at least three milk companies in China, namely: Sanlu Group Co., Mengniu Dairy Group Co., and Yili Industrial Group Co.
Melamine, a toxic industrial chemical that can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure, is reportedly high in nitrogen and has no nutritional value.
In July 2007, the said candies were ordered recalled and banned by the Department of Health (DOH) after it was found by BFAD positive of embalming chemical, formaldehyde.
Gutierrez added that they will continuously conduct series of tests to find out whether milk-based products from China in the Philippines are positive of melamine.
"Milk and candies are made of many substances so our procedure is we isolate the substance that we want to test," she said.
Meanwhile, Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) chief Antonio Villar Jr. allayed fears of a possible smuggling and proliferation in the country of contaminated milk from China.
"We have to be extra vigilant at this point in time. We cannot afford to lower our guards, knowing that some evils out there may take advantage of the situation," he said.
According to Villar, he ordered PASG operatives to "spare no one who will be caught trying to smuggle in the banned milk and dairy products as well as the banned chemicals used in the manufacture of these products."
He warned any PASG operatives of that "harsh consequences" if they were remiss in their duties.
"If fears of the western countries possibly falling victims to these contaminated products, chances are we the countries near China may also suffer the same fate. There should be a strong united front among us the concerned government agencies," he said.
The PASG official specifically tapped his men in Metro Manila to closely monitor shipments of milk and dairy products from China. They also were tasked to be on the lookout for such products to reach malls and shops like those in Divisoria in Manila. (JMR/FP/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pangasinan. (September 23, 2008 issue)
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