2 more batches of peanut butter products positive for salmonella - report

MANILA, Philippines – Results of laboratory tests from the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) on Monday showed two batches of another local peanut butter brand testing positive for salmonella. Radio dzBB quoted BFAD director Leticia Gutierrez as saying that the disease-causing organism was found in a certain batch of Ludy’s Peanut Butter Sweet and Creamy, as well as Ludy’s Peanut Butter Spread. The contaminated products have batch numbers 02 - 230905 and 02 - 20906. The BFAD said the manufacturer of Ludy’s Peanut Butter – Samuya Food Corp – failed to observe proper manufacturing practices and has already been suspended by the Department of Health. The DOH has also given the Samuya Food Corp 15 days to pull out the contaminated batches from the market. Gutierrez said that she has already deployed a team to conduct inspections in public markets particularly in Pasay City and Makati City. A separate radio report quoted Samuya officials as saying that they have yet to determine where the salmonella in their products came from but explained that the company gets their ingredients from India. GMANews.TV tried reaching the Samuya Food Corp for comment but company officials were still in a meeting discussing the matter. On March 12 , two batches from another Samuya product were found tainted with salmonella. These included 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. After the BFAD announcement, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ordered the pullout of all brands of peanut butter in markets in the city. The BFAD is still in the middle of testing peanut butter products from a number of local manufacturers, which the agency refused to identify. - GMANews.TV