Customs bureau destroys P4M worth of choco spread, coffee creamer, etc.

Four million pesos worth of chocolate spread, coffee creamer and other foodstuff  was destroyed by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Friday.

According to the BOC, the seized products came into the country in four 40-foot containers that arrived at the port of Manila from the United States on MaY 15, 2017.

The shipment consigned to IT Malingco Trading was not covered by any certificate of product registration from the Food and Drug Administration.

Erastus Austria, POM District Collector, ordered the condemnation of the articles by way of composting, rendering and pouring.

Austria said the forfeited items were "unfit for human consumption, have no commercial value, or the release thereof is contrary to law."

According to the BOC, the goods were destroyed at the facility of Tritek Reverse Logistics Corp. at the presence of personnel of the Auction and Cargo Disposal Division, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Division, Enforcement and Security Division, a representative from the Commission on Audit and the local government of San Pedro, Laguna.

The BOC said shipments without the required FDA permit are automatically seized by the Bureau pursuant to Section 1113 (Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture) in relation to RA 9711 otherwise known as FDA Act of 2009.

The bureau added it has scheduled another condemnation activity on September 19. -Margaret Claire Layug/NB, GMA News