BFAD asks BOC to be on alert vs China products

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) on Monday asked the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to check all the cargoes entering the Philippine waters especially those coming from China. The BFAD request came amid a scare regarding milk contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine. Some China-made milk products have been banned in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore for containing melamine. About 53,000 Chinese children are said to have developed kidney ailments because of the use of the products. Melamine is a high protein substance that used by some manufacturers as additives. This substance is used in producing plastics and fertilizers. BFAD director Prof. Leticia Gutierrez, said they are strengthening and enforcing stricter measures which includes asking the BOC to be more cautious against smuggled products. “I talked with Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales and I asked him to be careful in releasing shipments. There are two documents that they have to strictly check – the license to operate and the certificate of product registration (CPR) with BFAD," Gutierrez said. Aside from coordinating closely with BOC, Gutierrez said BFAD is also beefing up its market monitoring to make sure that tainted China-made milk products are not being sold in the market. At the same time, the BFAD chief said that BFAD is checking the veracity of reports that China-made White Rabbit Creamy Candies also contain melamine. "We heard something about that so our inspectors will be collecting samples and we will be testing it," she added. A few months ago, BFAD had banned White Rabbit after finding that it contained formaldehyde, an embalming chemical. Meanwhile, milk producer Nestle Philippines Inc. assured its consumers that all its milk products are safe for consumption. Sandra Puno, Nestle Philippines director of Communications said the raw materials they used for their milk manufactured and distributed in the country were imported from Australia, New Zealand, Europe and United States. - GMANews.TV