The Meticulous Mom

The issue on melamine-contaminated milk products coming from China has prompted neighboring countries to conduct milk products’ recall in their respective markets. As a consumer safety move, the Philippines, through the Department of Health’s Bureau of Food and Drugs has recalled late last week, milk and milk-containing products which are now subjected to testing for melamine content.

As of yesterday, BFAD has already removed four popular dairy products from the initial list of food items to be tested for possible melamine contamination. Manufactured in New Zealand and distributed locally by Fonterra Brands Philippines, these four products include Anchor Lite Milk, Anlene Milk Low Fat, Anmum Materna, and Anmum Materna Chocolate.

The delisting of the four milk products leaves 52 more that are to be tested by BFAD for melamine contamination and partial results of the tests on some other milk brands will come out hopefully this week.

This latest product recall has created somewhat of a puzzle yet to be resolved and for some panic, especially to mothers, who, according to latest market researches and studies, are said to be the most powerful consumers of all time considering their decision-making power as far as buying consumer products are concerned. And milk, being the food staple of non-breastfeeding kids is definitely one of these products.

In situations where product recall is happening, what is the best to do? How do mothers take on the issue? Debbie LaCroix, a parent and proactive consumer advocate gives us a handful of suggestions and tips on what to do if products that we happen to buy for our kids gets recalled and how to avoid buying items that may be recalled in the future:

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You purchase an item, bring it home, and take it out of the packaging only to hear it’s been recalled! Now what? Do you return it or just ignore the warning?

A product recall is when a manufacturer of an item finds something wrong with the product and removes it from the shelf or are they are asked by government authorities to remove it because of safety or health concerns. This usually happens if a product is defective, someone has gotten hurt, or a potential danger is recognized. If you have already purchased an item that was recalled, the company is required to either buy it back from you or fix the problem. Read the rest of this entry »

(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. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you resort to medications to relieve your child’s fever? If so, what medicine do you use?  Do you give him/her Paracetamol?

Unfortunately for me, yes. I give my son Paracetamol every time he has fever.  On doctor’s prescription, Tempra Forte or Biogesic for Kids are two most-trusted brands that I consistently patronize as they’ve proven to relieve my son’s fever.

Now, why did I say: unfortunately? Because I just read today an article in HealthDay News which linked acetaminophen to developing childhood asthma.

Acetaminophen, the USAN (United States Adopted Names) equivalent of Paracetamol, if given to children during the first year of life to reduce fever, are more likely to develop asthma later on, a new study by the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand in Wellington stated.

Children who are given acetaminophen/paracetamol are also more likely to develop rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema when they reach age 6 to 7, the study also indicated.

“If this association is causative, it would suggest that acetaminophen use is a risk factor for asthma and may explain the asthma has become more common,” said the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Richard Beasley. Read the rest of this entry »