Timeline: Product Recalls

July 11, 2002: The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) ordered a recall on certain batches of Gain infant formula (locally distributed by Abbott Philippines) after receiving reports that the products may be contaminated with lubricating oil and microscopic steel flakes. Only the 200-gram pouches of the infant milk powder bearing lot numbers 85583YX, 85585YX, 86617YX and 86620YZ were affected by the recall order.

June 2, 2004: Novartis Healthcare Phils., Inc., voluntarily recalled its Gerber Jars and Juices as a preventive measure after getting wind of an e-mail claiming the products were laced with arsenic. No actual proof of product tampering was found, and tests showed that Gerber Jars and Juices did not contain arsenic. BFAD cleared Gerber later that month and lifted the ban on the distribution, sale and consumption of the said products.

February 26, 2007: Having been notified by the US Food and Drug Administration, BFAD announced that certain batches of the Peter Pan Peanut Butter is being recalled by its American manufacturer due to possible salmonella contamination. Only those jars with a product code beginning with "2111" on their lids were affected by the recall.

June 19, 2007: BFAD ordered the recall of certain infant milk products manufactured by Wyeth Philippines, after various lots were found to have rusty cans. The initial recall involved around 4.3 million Wyeth milk products manufactured between May 23 up to July 26, 2006.
Less than a month later, Wyeth initiated the recall of more milk products, particularly those manufactured on or before October 31, 2006.
Among the infant formula products included in the recall are

• Bona Infant Formula
• Bonamil Milk Supplement Stage 2
• Bonakid Growing Up Milk Stage 3
• Promil Stage 2
• Promil Kid Stage 3
• Progress Gold
• Promil Gold

July 17, 2007: BFAD ordered importers, distributors, and other establishments to withdraw imported White Rabbit candies and some Chinese-made biscuits from the market after these food items tested positive for formaldehyde.
White Rabbit Creamy Candy manufactured by Shanghai Guan Sheng Yuan Food General Factory, Shanghai and distributed by Cheng Ban Yek & Co., Inc.
Milk Candy manufactured by Romanticfish Food Industry Co., Inc., Fujian (no licensed distributor)
Bairong Grape Biscuits manufactured by Dongguan Bairong Foodstuff Co., Ltd., Dongguan City, Guangdong and distributed by Goodway International Trading Corp.
Yong Kang Foods Grape Biscuit manufactured by Dongguan Yongkang Food Co., Ltd., Dongguan City, Guangdong (no licensed distributor)

August 2, 2007: Fisher-Price, Inc. announced a voluntary recall of some of its children's toys after learning that the paint used on the items contained excessive levels of lead. The recall involved various figures and toys such as Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer. Only those manufactured in China between April 19 and July 6, 2007 were affected by the recall.

August 14, 2007: Mattel, Inc. voluntarily recalled its "Sarge" die-cast cars after finding that the toys' paint contained high levels of lead. The company also recalled other made-in-China toys such as Polly Pocket and Batman playsets for containing small, powerful magnets.

August 14, 2007: In a product advisory, Nokia disclosed that some Nokia BL-5C cellphone batteries tended to overheat while charging. Only the BL-5C batteries manufactured by Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd. of Japan between December 2005 and November 2006 were reported to have such defects. Nokia offered to replace the defective batteries.

January 16, 2009: Kellogg Company voluntarily recalled certain Austin® and Keebler® branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers and select snack-size packs of Famous Amos® Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler® Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies because of potential contamination with Salmonella. In the Philippines, BFAD sends out field investigators to check if stores have the said products.

January 19, 2009: BFAD issued an advisory on an immediate recall of selected brands of peanut butter and products containing peanut butter and peanut paste from the United States.

• King Nut peanut butter with lot codes beginning with "8"
  Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) peanut butter and peanut paste products covering the following lot numbers: 8193, 8194, 8197, 8233, 8234, 8235, 8241, 8255, 8256, 8275, 8276, 8282, 8283, 8284, 8296, 8316, 8330, 8331, 8336, 8345, 8354
• Austin® and Keebler® products mentioned in Kellogg Company's press release on January 16, 2009 (products affected by the recall were produced on or after July 1, 2008)
• Certain Hy-Vee Inc. products made in its bakery departments
• Select ice cream products of Perry's Ice Cream containing peanut butter
• Candies with peanut butter by South Blend Chocolate Company
• Little Debbie® Peanut Butter Toasty and Peanut Butter Cheese Sandwich Crackers of McKee Foods Corporation

March 3, 2009: The US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Alpargatas USA Inc. of New York voluntarily recalled Havaianas children's flip flops that contain levels of lead higher than that of the US federal standard. Recalled models manufactured in Brazil include the following: Baby Estampas, Baby Pets, Kids Apple, Kids Fairy, Kids Flores, Kids Lighthouse, Kids Monsters, Kids Surf, Baby Letrinhas, Kids Sports, Kids Candies, Kids Fun, Kids Love, Kids Sereias, Kids Speed, Kids Lucky Bug, Kids Pets, Kids Rock, Kids Slim, Kids Wonder Woman, Kids Small Flowers and Kids Tropical w/ Kit. On March 5, Terry SA, Havaianas distributor in the Philippines, announced that it has set aside the same styles that were set aside in the US and has expressed its intention to subject the said batches for testing with an independent laboratory in Asia.

March 12, 2009: DOH-BFAD Advisory No. 2009-002 was issued to immediately recall Yummy Sweet and Creamy Peanut Spread 224 grams and 490 grams. Certain batches, manufactured by Samuya Food Manufacturing, Inc., with expiry dates 90409 and 52409 are contaminated with Salmonella according to the laboratory examination done by BFAD. Source: GMA News Research