Duque clarifies ‘synthetic vinegar’ is safe: Ang isyu ay paglabag ng policy, mislabeling

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Sunday clarified that the some brands of vinegar found with synthetic acetic acid content is safe to consume, pointing out that their issue was a standard violation.

“Hindi naman ito safety issue. Ang isyu dito ay paglabag ng policy, mislabeling,” Duque said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

A recent study from the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) showed that 15 out of 17 brands of vinegar contain synthetic acetic acid.

The PNRI refused to name these brands, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated to examine all vinegar brands. The agency announced last week the result of their examination and found five brands containing synthetic acetic acid. 

“Hindi siya naaayon sa standard na napag-usapan ng industriya at ng regulating agency na FDA na kailangan sundan nila. Dapat sila ay humarap sa consequences ng kanilang paglabag,” Duque said.

The FDA can change their standard of fermentation process, and allow these "synthetic vinegar" to be out in the market since they are dangerous to one’s health, Duque added.

Aside from violating the standard fermentation process, some of the vinegar brands also did not indicate this on their products’ label.

Due to this, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued a public advisory asking the public to refrain from buying vinegar brands. 

"Kung hindi siya truthful, hindi niya nilagay lahat kung ano 'yung mga ingredients na nandoon, o kung may ingredient na hindi totoo na nakalagay doon, may criminal liability 'yan under the consumer act," Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo said.

Condiments firm Tentay Food Sauces, Inc. denied using synthetic acetic acid in its products even as the FDA deemed three of its vinegar variants as substandard.

The company has taken all three variants included in the FDA's list off the market, as well as halted the production of vinegar in their factory altogether.    

"Hindi namin nilagay pero may traces so we have to investigate also our suppliers," Tentay Food Sauces, Inc. president and CEO Velia Cruz said. —Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News