(Source: DTI News Release, 23 September 2008)

Trade and Industry Secretary Peter B. Favila has instructed all DTI regional and provincial offices to assist the Department of Health (DOH) in monitoring the presence of contaminated Chinese infant milk in the market.

“All our field offices are working with the health department to ensure that contaminated milk products from China will not be sold to consumers,” DTI Secretary Favila said.

The health department is the lead government agency in ensuring that safe food and drugs are retailed in the market. It is mandated to register and license food and drugs products that are tested safe for consumers.

Meanwhile, DTI Undersecretary for Consumer Welfare Zenaida C. Maglaya asked supermarket owners to voluntarily withdraw from their shelves imported milk until tests from the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) are completed.

“We also appeal to consumers to buy only branded milk products and momentarily stay away from imported Chinese milk until they are declared safe for human consumption,” Undersecretary Maglaya said.

It is best to buy known brands for the product safety and stay away from repacked milk products that do not have labels, Undersecretary Maglaya added.

Moreover, she said, it is unsafe to buy milk products without labels since consumers will not be informed of the products’ ingredients and the expiration dates, including its source, whether imported or locally produced.

Reports said that milk manufactured from China’s Sanlu Group are contaminated with toxic substance melamine. The substance was reported to be the cause of kidney problems for babies in China’s Gansu province, Beijing City and Shanghai.

“We encourage consumers to report products from China’s Sanlu Group sold at the market to DTI Direct 751-3330 open from Monday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm or you could also go to the nearest DTI Regional and Provincial offices.

Complaint may call the Office of Secretary Favila at 0917.8063473 or by texting: DTI (space) message and sending it to 2920 for both Globe and Smart subscribers,” reminded Undersecretary Maglaya. (end)