Supermarkets voluntarily pull out China milk from shelves
Grocery stores and supermarkets in Iloilo City voluntarily pulled out from their shelves milk products from China following reports that thousands of children had been hospitalized in China after taking milk brands containing the toxic substance melamine.
Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD)-6 Regulations and Enforcement Division, chief licensing officer Delia Tarroza said supermarkets in the city discarded from their display shelves Yili milk, a liquid milk in Tetra packs, which is made from China even before the inspecting team made rounds in the different groceries and supermarkets.
Tarroza said they would be getting samples of milk products from China which will be tested if it contains melamine.
Melamine is a chemical normally used in plastics which was added to milk to make it appear rich in protein.
The series of inspection was in relation to the advisory issued by BFAD national office. The advisory was issued in the interest of protecting public health and welfare. It directs all licensed importers or distributors of registered milk products sourced from China to immediately stop from further importing, distributing, selling and offering for sale these products.
Meanwhile, Mayor Jerry Treñas has also tasked City Health Office (CHO) head Dr. Urminico Baronda to conduct their own monitoring of milk products sold in the market.
The help of the local government was sought in preventing the proliferation of Chinese milk products laced with melamine in the different cities in the country.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and BFAD are working closely in investigating the entry of milk products sourced from China. BFAD has ordered all licensed importers and distributors to immediately stop selling milk products from China until all products have been tested safe for human consumption.
It was learned that there are a number of Chinese retail stores in the city selling repacked milk products.
The Philippines is only one of the countries that imposed a ban on the entry of melamine-tainted milk products which has sickened tens of thousands of children in China. Those Chinese milk products reported to have tainted with melamine are milk products distributed by Sanlu Group, Inner Mongolia Yili and Mengniu Dairy Co.