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Saturday, September 27, 2008
56 milk products up for melamine test
MANILA -- The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) released Friday a partial list of milk products being sold in the local market that will be subjected to tests for melamine.
Melamine, an industrial chemical used in the manufacture of plastics, was reportedly used by milk manufacturer Sanlu Group. It reportedly gives milk a higher protein count in tests, but while ingesting minute amounts of it is not considered dangerous, the chemical can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure.
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BFAD director Leticia Barbara Gutierrez said a testing procedure for the first 56 local milk products may take some time, but will ensure accurate results.
"We have to make sure that the procedure will do what it is supposed to do; and we are confident that by using this (method), we will be able to release definite results, positive if it is positive," she said.
However, Gutierrez assured that if the products are found negative of melamine, the ban on the particular product will immediately be lifted.
"We are going to test if these are positive for melamine. Some of these used milk sourced from China. These are the samples that we have collected but there's always the possibility that these could be negative," Gutierrez said.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo meantime said dairy products and other food items, including raw materials, imported from China should first be subjected to laboratory analysis by the BFAD before they are sold publicly.
"She (President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) has given instructions to appropriate agencies particularly BFAD to monitor all milk products in the country," she said.
Cancel licenses
For his part, Presidential Management Staff director general Cerge Remonde said it is only fitting to cancel the licenses of some local importers who continue to bring in and sell contaminated dairy products from China despite the temporary ban.
"That is an appropriate measure, to protect Filipino consumers as directed by the President," he said.
On Tuesday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III issued an order to stop any importation, distribution, and sale of the milk products suspected to be tainted with melamine.
He had also directed BFAD to go after local manufacturers that are still using raw milk materials in their products despite the ongoing ban against China-made milk products.
According to Duque, the ban covers not just milk but also milk by-products like candies, chocolates, cheese, and yogurts.
He said importation of milk and milk products from China is also prohibited, stressing that their concern now are the local companies that use milk in manufacturing other products.
Director Gutierrez said BFAD agents would conduct "spot inspections" of local factories that manufacture products with milk derivatives.
She said the inspectors will be checking on receipt, invoice, and other pertinent documents to determine where these factories source the milk that they put in their products. (Sunnex)
Related Stories:
China-made milk importers warned of raps
Findings on recalled milk out in 2 weeks
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (September 27, 2008 issue)
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