Five big food firms in RP say products are safe
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/25/2008 4:12 PM
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Five major food companies--Alaska Milk Corp., Magnolia Inc., RFM Corp., Mead Johnson, Kraft Foods--sought to allay Filipino consumers' fears of melamine contamination in their products.
Fred Uytengsu, chief executive officer (CEO) of Alaska Milk Corporation, said Thursday that their company does not use milk imported from China in their products.
Alaska Milk Corp. produces the following products under various brands:
- evaporated and condensed milk;
- evaporated and condensed creamer;
- powdered milk;
- ready-to-drink milk;
- all purpose cream.
Among the firm's brands are: Alaska, Liberty, Alpine, and Krem-Top.
Uytengsu appealed to the public not to panic, saying that corporations in the country's milk industry have enough safeguards to ensure the quality of their products.
He added that the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) is playing its role in ensuring food safety.
The Alaska Milk CEO was guest at the launching of SGV Foundation's search for Entrepreneuer of the Year in Quezon City. Uytengsu was 2007 Philippine Entrepreneur of the Year.
Mead Johnson: No inputs from China
In a statement Thursday, Mead Johnson said its milk products are safe since it "does not use dairy or protein-containing raw ingredients from China at any of its manufacturing sites."
Paul Richards, president and general manager of Mead Johnson Nutritionals Philippines said "tests conducted on Mead Johnson products show no trace of melamine contamination."
"We assure parents and our stakeholders that our products remain safe and nutritious," Richards said. "Our products are subjected to numerous stringent quality control checks during and after production to ensure quality and safety."
The firm said it "shares the concerns of parents around the world caused by the recent contamination of infant and children milk in China."
No China supplier
RFM Corp., meanwhile, also assured the public that its dairy products are safe and do not contain melamine.
Among the dairy products of the Concepcion-owned firm are: Selecta ice cream, Selecta Fortified Milk, and Selecta Moo chocolate drink.
The company said it is not affected by the ban on milk imports from China since it sources its milk ingredients from the US, Australia, and India.
RFM Corp. said its products are thus free of hazardous substances such as melamine.
In spite of this, the company said it will continue to be vigilant to ensure the safety of our products.
Magnolia, Kraft: Our products are safe
Magnolia Inc., meanwhile, assured the public that all its milk and dairy products are safe for consumption even as it appealed to consumers to be vigilant against similar products with raw materials sourced from China.
The statement came amid growing fears across the world over the safety of milk products coming from China.
The company manufactures and distributes milk and dairy goods under the brand name Magnolia and markets similar products carrying the King's Creameries and Big M brands.
"We would like to assure the public that all our raw materials are sourced only from reputable and accredited partners from New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the United States and have been tested safe for public consumption," said Reginald Baylosis, general manager for Magnolia Inc., and Mayo Alcon, general manager for Magnolia Ice Cream, in a joint statement.
They added that none of Magnolia's products contains milk powder that originated from China.
Magnolia Inc. said it adheres to the highest quality control standards and systems in all levels of its business and manufacturing process. It was recently re-certified for ISO 22000,2005 for compliance with global standards of quality and safety.
It said the stringent process conducted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) involved a series of tests submitted for review by more than 150 national members which comprise the committee.
"This certification is proof that Magnolia is serious about providing only the safest and superior quality products to the consumers. We value this reputation for high standards which we have built up over so many years," Baylosis said.
Alcon added that "now more than ever, we should stress the importance of safety and quality and enjoin the public to be more vigilant in the interest of protecting public health."
Kraft Foods, which distributes cheeses, biscuits, chocolates, salad dressings, spreads, issued a similar statement on Wednesday.
It released a list of products which do not contain milk ingredients "sourced by Kraft Foods from china."
Read: http://news.abs-cbn.com/public-service/09/24/08/kraft-foods-none-our-products-contains-milk-china
Singapore cites five more products
Meanwhile, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has detected melamine in an additional five products imported from China, two of which are flavored milk while the rest are confectioneries that contain milk power.
These are:
- Dutch Lady Banana Flavoured Milk;
- Dutch Lady Honeydew Flavoured Milk;
- Silang - House of Steamed Potato - Potato Cracker;
- Puffed Rice Rolls - Butter Corn Flavor;
- Puffed Rice Rolls - Cheese Flavor
The AVA earlier found melamine contamination in three products imported from China:
- Yi Li Choice Dairy Fruit Bar Yogurt Flavoured Ice Confection;
- Dutch Lady Strawberry Flavoured Milk;
- White Rabbit Creamy Candy.
The AVA suspended imports and sale of all milk and milk products from China beginning September 19, 2008.
"We would also like to assure the public that the levels of melamine detected in the products are low and hence unlikely to result in adverse health effects," the AVA said.
"Consumers have to consume large quantities over a prolonged period of time to have any potential ill effects on health," the AVA said.
In its advisory, the AVA said the "Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of melamine as established by the US Food and Drug Administration is 0.63 mg/kg body weight.
"This means that an adult weighing 60 kg or a child weighing 30 kg can ingest 37.8 mg of melamine and 18.9 mg of melamine every day over a lifetime without any appreciable health risk," the AVA said. -- with reports from LIZA REYES, JORGE CARINO, ABS-CBN News
