DOH admits ‘problems’ monitoring homemade peanut butter makers

MANILA, Philippines - Amid its efforts to test food items such as peanut butter and spreads for possible contamination, health authorities admitted difficulty in going after makers of “homemade" peanut butter. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said they have to concentrate their human and financial resources first in going after manufacturers who could produce commercial volumes of products in question. “Aaminin ko may kahirapan tayong gawin yan pero syempre mas maganda ang commercial volume ang ating uunahin dahil yan mas maraming taong maapektuhan," Duque said in an interview on dzBB radio. [I will admit we have a hard time going after makers of homemade peanut butter but of course we have to concentrate on those making the stuff in commercial volumes because it affects more people.] Besides, he said those making the homemade peanut butter are relatively few, and have no capacity to make the product in large quantities. “Yung gawa-gawa sa bahay iilan-ilan yan, walang commercial volume capacity [Homemade makers are relatively few and have no capacity to make the product in commercial volumes]," he said. In the meantime, Duque said he has ordered DOH teams to strengthen their post-market surveillance, saying samples presented by firms for testing are usually clean. Ordered recalled by the Bureau of Food and Drugs on Monday were two batches (02-230905 and 02-20906) of Samuya Food Corp’s Ludy’s Peanut Butter products, which tested positive for salmonella. Earlier, the BFAD advised the public not to consume Yummy Sweet and Creamy Peanut Spread 490 grams (Batch 11240810), with expiry date of May 24, 2009; and Yummy Sweet and Creamy Peanut Spread 224 grams (Batch 3040905), with expiry date Sept. 4, 2009. Samuya Food Corp. is also the maker of Yummy peanut spread products. “Usually kung magpapa-test ka ng samples mo, usually ang samples na pinapa-test nila malinis. Iba na minsan pag nakakarating sa shelf. Ang quality sumasama, o ang produkto nagkakaroon ng ebidensya na kontaminado. Mahalaga ang post-marketing surveillance yan ang ating pinalalakas ngayon, he said. [Usually when we test samples, the samples presented by the firms are clean. But testing items on store shelves is a different matter. Here you see defective or even contaminated products. That’s why we have to strengthen our post-marketing surveillance]," he said. Duque also reiterated his warning that salmonella-tainted products may cause typhoid fever. Last March 23, Duque and BFAD head Leticia Gutierrez served a temporary suspension order on Samuya. “Temporary suspension iyan hanggang hindi sila nakaksunod sa ating pamantayan o standards for good manufacturing practice ating ipagbabawal ang kanilang pag-operate [The suspension stays so long as the factory does not comply with standards for good manufacturing]," Duque said. - GMANews.TV