DOH warns public vs summer coolers with magic sugar

Here's another reason to be wary of halo-halo and other summer coolers: magic sugar and artificial sweeteners that may cause health risks. Many vendors may be tempted to use the controversial product due to high prices of refined sugar, Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said on Saturday. "Kung [yung allowed] na sweetener walang problema. Kaya lang kung nilagay sa halo-halo [ay artificial]… at 10 baso ang kinain ninyo nakakaramdam kayo kaunting sama ng katawan at hilo (If allowed artificial sweeteners were used, we do not see any problem. But if magic sugar was used and you consumed 10 glasses of halo-halo containing it, it may cause discomfort and dizziness)," Cabral said in an interview on dzRH radio, citing reports reaching her office. Cabral said many vendors may use magic sugar because of the high prices of sugar, whose recommended retail price is above P50 per kilo. However, she did not indicate how much the magic sugar costs. "Mas mura ngayon artificial sweetener kaya yan ang ginagamit ng mga negosyante sa pampatamis (Artificial sweeteners are much cheaper, so many vendors tend to use them in their products)," she said. Earlier, Cabral warned halo-halo and other summer coolers can be potentially deadly if they are not prepared properly. She said these snack items can contain harmful bacteria if they are improperly prepared. Also, she urged local government units (LGUs) to have their health workers monitor vendors of halo-halo and other summer fare, to make sure these food items fit for human consumption. Halo-halo, a Filipino snack made from sweets such as ice cream, leche flan, munggo, fruits and crushed ice, is a popular food item during the summer months. But at least one resident died while at least 15 others were hospitalized after eating what authorities suspected to be spoiled halo-halo in Bicol Region earlier this year. On the other hand, Cabral's predecessor Francisco Duque III had warned schools and local government agencies to be on guard against ambulant vendors using “magic sugar" in the drinks they sell. Magic sugar Before being transferred to the Civil Service Commission, Duque had said sidewalk vendors and vendors near schools still use the sweetener in juices and drinks they sell to children. The Food and Drugs Administration had warned against the use of the illegal sweetener known as “magic sugar," which is known to cause cancer. Neotogen or “magic sugar" is a cheaper and sweeter substitute than cane sugar and has been used by some vendors selling juice drinks. As early as August 2000, the then Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) issued an advisory that magic sugar is prohibited “due to evidence of its carcinogenicity in animals." “Neotogen or magic sugar is not registered with the BFAD. As such, the importation, distribution or sale of the product is illegal and subject to sanctions and penalties stipulated in the Foods, Drugs, Devices, and Cosmetics Act," it said. — LBG, GMANews.TV