Meat inspectors pass to BFAD job of inspecting canned meat

MANILA, Philippines - Admitting their laboratories are not equipped to check for melamine, government meat inspectors passed to the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) Monday the job of testing canned meat products for possible melamine contamination. National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) head Jane Bacayo said he will "coordinate" with BFAD head Leticia Gutierrez the job of testing the canned meat for traces of melamine. "Yung laboratory namin ngayon hindi preparado sa melamine lab tests. Wala kaming capability to test for melamine. Magko-coordinate kami sa BFAD kasi sila ang may capability mag-test nito (Our laboratories are not prepared to test for melamine. We have no capability to test for melamine. We will have to coordinate with the BFAD on this because they have the capability)," Bacayo said in an interview on dzXL radio. Earlier, BFAD's Gutierrez said canned meat is not their turf but that of the NMIS. Gutierrez said they are presently busy testing 200 milk and milk-based products. In the meantime, Bacayo said they will continue their routine inspections of canned goods in supermarkets for possible contamination with other toxic substances. "Di namin akalain magkaroon ng melamine, ang laboratory namin not prepared for melamine (We never thought of the possibility of melamine contamination. Our laboratories are simply not equipped to test for melamine)," he said. - GMANews.TV