Another China-made milk brand banned

MANILA, Philippines - The government has banned another China-made milk which was found to be contaminated with melamine. In a press conference, Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III identified the product as JollyCow Slender High Calcium Low Fat Milk, which was ordered banned from the country until it is reformulated. JollyCow’s product was added to two other banned Chinese milk — Greenfood Yili Fresh Milk and Mengniu Drink. The three contained amounts of melamine, a material for making plastics, beyond the body’s tolerable levels. Melamine is added to milk to increase its protein content. The contaminated milk scandal has so far resulted in the death of four infants and the affliction of more than 50,000 others in China. Contaminated China-made products have since been banned in several countries worldwide. As this developed, Mr. Duque said the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) is testing processed meat products for melamine on allegations that some products were also contaminated. While the National Meat Inspection Service is tasked to test the safety of meat products, Mr. Duque said that the agency under the Department of Agriculture has asked BFAD’s assistance since the former is not capable of testing products for melamine. Cleared products Meanwhile, the Health department cleared 21 other milk products for display on store shelves. These are: * Anmum Maternal Milk Powder (chocolate flavor), 400g; * Bear Brand Choco, 300g; * Bear Brand Sterilized Milk, 200 ml; * Cadbury Choclairs; * Carnation Calcium Plus Non-Fat Milk Powder; * Klim Instant Full Cream Milk Powder; * Milo Chocolate Bar, 40g; * Monmilk Breakfast Milk Walnut Milk Powder; * Monmilk High Calcium Low Fat Milk, 1 liter; * Monmilk Milk Deluxe Pure Milk; * Nestlé Chocolate-Flavored Ice Cream; * Nestlé Dairy Farm Pure Milk; * Nestlé Fresh Milk, 1 liter; * Nestlé Kit Kat; * Nestlé Milk Chocolate, 40g; * Nestlé Pops Ice Cream; * Nestlé Vanilla-Flavored Ice Cream; * Nestogen 1 DHA (now Nestogen One); * Nesvita Cereal Milk Drink; * Nutri-Express Milk Drink (Green Apple Flavor), 500 ml; and * Prime Roast Instant Nutritious Cereal, 28G. The Health department said that it has stricken out of the test list 22 other products that have been declared by China to be positive with melamine. BFAD said 85 to 90 milk products will still be tested, with additional results to be released on Friday. — Emilia Narni J. David, BusinessWorld