Cebu mom complains to BFAD about Wyeth milk

SunStar: The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) in Central Visayas has started looking into a mother's complaint that her baby suffered dehydration after supposedly drinking infant formula sold by food manufacturing giant Wyeth. Sun-Star Cebu (www.sunstar.com.ph) reported Friday that BFAD health regulatory licensing enforcement chief Dr. Angelita Salarda cited one complaint where a baby suffered dehydration. Citing information from her office, Salarda said a mother went to the BFAD office Tuesday complaining that her baby had suffered dehydration after drinking the “Bonamil" milk she bought. The mother, who was not named, also noted some discoloration in the milk product she bought. But Salarda admitted they did not immediately get the details of the complaint, since they did not know about the controversy at the time. The controversy broke out only Tuesday night. On the other hand, the BFAD said it has not received any complaints after the recall order was issued last Tuesday. In the meantime, she said BFAD will deploy food and drug regulation officers to check drugstores, supermarkets and grocery stores for the products with the specified lot numbers. As this developed, the BFAD in Cebu advised the public to return cans or sachets of milk bearing certain lot numbers to the manufacturer. In an advisory issued Wednesday, BFAD Director IV Leticia Gutierrez advised consumers who had bought products bearing 172 lot numbers to return these to Wyeth or its licensed distributors. “(In case of) Any unusual incident as a consequence of consuming the subject goods, the affected parties are advised to immediately consult a physician and report the incident to the BFAD or the nearest Center for Health Development of the Department of Health," Gutierrez said in her advisory. The BFAD central office ordered last Tuesday the recall of about two million cans or sachets of various milk products manufactured by Wyeth Philippines. Covered by the order were Bonakid, Bonamil, Bonna, Progress Gold, Promil, Promil Gold and Promil Kid products manufactured between May 16 and July 26, 2006 and those bearing any of the 172 lot numbers specified by the BFAD. BFAD issued the order after hearing about complaints from consumers that some milk products were contaminated and that the cans bore rust marks. Salarda said the authorities have not yet confirmed if the milk products ordered recalled by their central office have reached Cebu. She said that since there is no advice from either BFAD-7 or Wyeth, Salarda said they will field their food and drug regulation officers to check drugstores, supermarkets and grocery stores if they have the milk products with the specified lot numbers on their shelves. She also warned against drinking the milk products being recalled, even if Wyeth officials had assured that “the milk powder inside the affected cans was not compromised and the integrity of the milk powder was maintained." “We were not advised if the products in question are being sold in Cebu, so we will check it on our own. We also ask the consuming public to be cautious in buying their milk or to refrain from drinking the affected goods because the advisory was specific in saying that the product should be returned," Salarda said. - GMANews.TV