No more Japan choco for now, says PHL govt

The Philippine government will temporarily stop importing chocolate milk products from radiation-stricken areas in Japan, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said on Thursday. In a “verbal order" issued to importers, BAI director Dr. Efren Nuestro said the BAI will stop issuing veterinary quarantine clearances (VQCs) for chocolate milk products from the affected Japan prefectures or loosely a province. The National Veterinary Quarantine Services, a branch of the BAI, regulates imports and exports of animal products through VQCs among other permits. Nuestro also ordered that products shipped to the Philippines after March 11 be recalled. A magnitude-9 earthquake followed by a tsunami with 30-foot waves hit Japan on March 11 damaging nuclear power plants and other infrastructures. Some agriculture products from Japan, particularly from prefectures in the northeast, have since been found contaminated with nuclear radiation. The BAI, a bureau attached to the Department of Agriculture (DA), has drafted a memorandum order that is now waiting for Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala’s signature. Another DA-attached agency, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) meanwhile said it will subject Japanese mackerel to random sampling in an effort to detect abnormal levels of radioactivity. “Although Japan is not a primary source of food products, it will be prudent to test the products first before we release the same to the market," BFAR director Malcolm Sarmiento Jr. said. Noodles, teas, and other manufactured or processed food items make up the majority Japanese exports to the Philippines. The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have started testing for radiation a number of imported products for Japan including soy products, milk, and noodles. As of Wednesday, FDA tests show that food from Japan remain safe to eat. — PE/VS, GMA News