Wyeth orders recall of 8 more batches of milk products

Wyeth Philippines has ordered a recall of eight more batches of milk products for having rusty and moldy cans. France Laboy, spokesperson for the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) said the milk company has voluntarily added eight more lots of its recalled products that were contaminated when typhoon Milenyo hit the Philippines last year. The US-based company had earlier assured the public that the rust and molds that developed in the cans had no affect on the quality of its products. The milk products are still safe for human consumption, but Wyeth decided to have them recalled under BFAD orders. Laboy could not say how many cans of infant formula make up the eight batches recently included in the recall. "The mere fact that they voluntarily divulged the additional lot, it means that they are serious about this," Laboy said in a telephone interview. Last month, the BFAD ordered the American milk company to withdraw from the market two million cans of Bonna, Bonnamil, Bonakid, Promil, Promil Gold, Progress, Progress Gold, and Promil Kid that were manufactured between May 23 and July 26 last year because of packaging defects. While Wyeth maintains that the milk products were not affected by the packages the BFAD insisted that consuming them is still "risky" for children. Despite the debate whether the affected products are safe or not for kids, the BFAD did not conduct further tests if the content of the cans were indeed contaminated. "We refused to test the actual powder because the BFAD said there's no need for that. Wyeth's fault is its failure to recall when the initial signs of molding came about," Health Undersecretary Alexander Padilla said. According to Padilla, the BFAD has not submitted a report on whether it will impose sanctions on Wyeth for failuring to immediately recall the defective products. "We're still determining what to do about this – if (we will) censure or reprimand. Recall is an ordinary procedure, it's a part of corporate social responsibility. But because it took them this long it has become a controversial one," Padilla said. - GMANews.TV