2 milk brands test positive for melamine; flour to be tested next

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DoH) and its attached agency, Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD), released Friday the partial test results for milk products containing melamine. In a press conference at the DOH, the results showed that two milk brands — Greenfood Yili Fresh Milk and Mengniu Drink — tested positive for melamine. These products will be banned from entering the market until the products have been reformulated. The DOH said that the manufacturers would be held responsible if their products test positive for melamine. "The BFAD and DTI can consolidate our reports to be used as basis for whatever legal action to be taken. The manufacturer will be held liable [if the product they made is contaminated]," said Health secretary Francisco T. Duque III during the press conference. The partial results covered 30 milk products. There are still 200 products left to be tested, the BFAD said. The agency will release another set of results early next week. The products that tested negatively for melamine and can now be placed back on the shelves are: * Anchor Lite Milk * Anlene High Calcium Low Fat Milk U.H.T. * Bear Brand Instant * Chichok Milk Chocolate * Farmland Skim Milk * Jinwei Drink * Jolly Cow Pure Fresh Milk * Kiddie Soya Milk Egg Delight * Lactogen 1 DHA Infant Formula * M&M’s Milk Chocolate Candies * M&M’s Peanut Chocolate Candies * Milk Boy * Nestogen 2 DHA Follow-up Formula * Nestogen 3 DHA Follow-up Formula * Nido 3+ Prebio with DHA * Nido Full Cream Milk Powder * Nido Junior * No-Sugar Chocolate of Isomaltooligosaccharide (Cocoa Butter Substitute) * Nutri-Express Milk Drink * PURA UHT Fresh Milk * Snickers Fresh Roasted in Caramel & Soft Nougat in Thick Milk Chocolate * Vitasoy Soya Bean Milk * Wahaha Orange * Wahaha Yellow * Want-Want Milk Drink (Red Can) * Windmill Skim Milk Powder * Yinlu Milk Peanut * Yogee Yoghurt Flavor Milk Drink Trade relations unaffected Meanwhile, Malacañang expressed confidence that the government’s strict measures on the sale and distribution of Chinese products will not affect the trade relations between the Philippines and China. "It has no bearing at all as to whether it (tightening on Chinese milk products) will create problems because I am sure China is probably as concerned as we are in seeing to it that the products that they export are also not harmful to consumers," said Press Sec. Jesus G. Dureza in a chance interview yesterday. The Press Secretary stressed that the measures being undertaken by the Department of Health and other agencies monitoring the entry of Chinese products are meant to protect the public. "The due diligence being done to protect the consumers is never an overreaction. We would rather overreact rather than [not do anything] because it [concerns] the health and safety of consumers that are paramount," he said. Data from the Department of Foreign Affairs showed that trade volume between China and the Philippines reached $30.62 billion last year, making China the country’s third largest trading partner after the US and Japan. Mr. Dureza asked the public to follow the advisories of the Bureau of Food and Drugs and to be careful in selecting the food products. Meanwhile, Malacanang said announcements regarding laboratory tests on milk products should come from the government since the issue involves public health and safety. This, after Qualibet Testing, an independent laboratory in Quezon City, claimed that some products available in the market are contaminated with melamine. "All the announcements on lab tests should come from the Department of Health (DOH) and the Bureau of Food and Drugs. All these statements should have an official stamp on them," Mr. Dureza said. He said the government would support the filing of cases against the manufacturers selling contaminated products as long as there is enough evidence against them. Other products to be tested BFAD laboratory testing officer-in-charge Maria Lourdes Santiago said, "Right now we are only testing what the public will immediately consume, which are the products on the shelves, that’s why there was a ban issued. We are going to expand the coverage of the tests." Next to be tested are supplies of flour amid reports that some have been contaminated by melamine. "That’s currently being studied and undertaken," Mr. Duque said at a budget hearing in the Senate on Thursday. Meanwhile, in Eastern Visayas, an inter-agency task force has widened its monitoring of China-made milk products to include small community stores. Teofreda Goyone, acting director of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD), said the task force has inspected some 35 stores in the region and pulled out China milk products from their shelves since last week. The stores inspected were in Tacloban City, Borongan City, Ormoc City, Catbalogan City, Calbayog City, and Catarman, Northern Samar. The food bureau is still waiting for feedback from Maasin City, Baybay City and key municipalities of the region. Teogenes Baluma, regional director of the Department of Health, said they decided to include convenience stores because they were "vulnerable to products coming through the backdoor." "Small retail stores are our problem because most of their products do not pass through the proper importation process. Some retailers also repack banned products," he added. The task force was composed of the Food and Drugs bureau and the Health and Trade departments as well as the local government units. — Bernard U. Allauigan, Emilia Narni J. David, Sarwell Q. Meniano and Alexis Douglas B. Romero, BusinessWorld