State to ask China help for dairy products importers
10/07/2008 | 01:46 AM
MANILA, Philippines - The government will ask China’s assistance to local importers who bought contaminated milk products banned recently by the Health department.
"All of those who had in good faith, imported these products are now asking the Chinese government if there is a way for it to help them out because they’re saying, we know, we had the shipment all in good faith, little did we know or none of us even new of its contamination," said Trade Secretary Peter B. Favila in a chance interview Monday.
Mr. Favila said he and Heath Secretary Francisco T. Duque III will make a formal representation before the Chinese embassy today to discuss the issue.
"I’ll just go and [seek an audience], probably ask for a meeting with the ambassador," he said, adding that the milk scare will be tackled in today’s Cabinet meeting in Malacañang.
The Trade chief said companies are asking Mr. Duque how they can recover huge losses due to importation of contaminated milk.
The government has been imposing strict measures on the sale and distribution of Chinese milk and milk products to ensure that no contaminated item will penetrate the market.
Last week, the Health department released a partial list of milk products free from melamine, a substance said to harm the internal organs.
It found two Chinese milk brands — Greenfood Yili Fresh Milk and Mengniu Drink — to be contaminated with melamine.
Food safety
Meanwhile, public health experts and officials are expected to enlighten today lawmakers on policies to promote food safety.
The House committee on agriculture and food will start its probe on various agencies’ ability to monitor milk and other products from China due to the melamine scare.
Measures to be taken up include House Bill (HB) 3799, which seeks to establish a comprehensive program to ensure safety of food products through proper labeling of feed, meat and poultry products that contain genetically engineered material; HB 4108, which seeks to regulate pesticide chemical residue in food by establishing tolerance standards; and House Resolution (HR) 806, which seeks inquiry into trade and health policies on food importation. They are expected to address challenges on food safety, especially those of imported food.
Palawan Rep. Abraham Kahlil B. Mitra (2nd district), committee on agriculture chairman, said public health experts will shed light on the economic costs of unsafe food.
"We will ask these experts, including consumer groups to pinpoint which aspects of the food production and supply chain on specific products are vulnerable to unsanitary processes," he said in a statement.
He said the labeling of raw and unprocessed food will aid the anti-smuggling drive.
Mr. Mitra said manufacturers should also identify food products’ country of origin. — Alexis Douglas B. Romero and Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez, BusinessWorld
"All of those who had in good faith, imported these products are now asking the Chinese government if there is a way for it to help them out because they’re saying, we know, we had the shipment all in good faith, little did we know or none of us even new of its contamination," said Trade Secretary Peter B. Favila in a chance interview Monday.
Mr. Favila said he and Heath Secretary Francisco T. Duque III will make a formal representation before the Chinese embassy today to discuss the issue.
"I’ll just go and [seek an audience], probably ask for a meeting with the ambassador," he said, adding that the milk scare will be tackled in today’s Cabinet meeting in Malacañang.
The Trade chief said companies are asking Mr. Duque how they can recover huge losses due to importation of contaminated milk.
The government has been imposing strict measures on the sale and distribution of Chinese milk and milk products to ensure that no contaminated item will penetrate the market.
Last week, the Health department released a partial list of milk products free from melamine, a substance said to harm the internal organs.
It found two Chinese milk brands — Greenfood Yili Fresh Milk and Mengniu Drink — to be contaminated with melamine.
Food safety
Meanwhile, public health experts and officials are expected to enlighten today lawmakers on policies to promote food safety.
The House committee on agriculture and food will start its probe on various agencies’ ability to monitor milk and other products from China due to the melamine scare.
Measures to be taken up include House Bill (HB) 3799, which seeks to establish a comprehensive program to ensure safety of food products through proper labeling of feed, meat and poultry products that contain genetically engineered material; HB 4108, which seeks to regulate pesticide chemical residue in food by establishing tolerance standards; and House Resolution (HR) 806, which seeks inquiry into trade and health policies on food importation. They are expected to address challenges on food safety, especially those of imported food.
Palawan Rep. Abraham Kahlil B. Mitra (2nd district), committee on agriculture chairman, said public health experts will shed light on the economic costs of unsafe food.
"We will ask these experts, including consumer groups to pinpoint which aspects of the food production and supply chain on specific products are vulnerable to unsanitary processes," he said in a statement.
He said the labeling of raw and unprocessed food will aid the anti-smuggling drive.
Mr. Mitra said manufacturers should also identify food products’ country of origin. — Alexis Douglas B. Romero and Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez, BusinessWorld
