BFAD removes New Zealand-made dairy products from list

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/27/2008 7:39 PM

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The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) on Saturday removed four products manufactured by New Zealand's Fonterra from its initial list of food items that will be tested for possible melamine contamination.

BFAD Director Leticia Gutierrez said the agency has removed from its list the Fonterra brands Anchor Lite Milk, Anlene Milk Low Fat, Anmum Materna, and Anmum Materna Chocolate.

Gutierrez said that the Department of Health (DOH) directive calls for testing of milk and milk-based products from or manufactured in China.

She said the four products of Fonterra removed from the list were manufactured in New Zealand. These are distributed locally by Fonterra Brands Philippines.

However, the BFAD retained three Fonterra fruit flavored milk drinks--Anchor Wam! Fruit Milk Drink Mango Magic, Anchor Wam! Fruit Milk Drink Orange Chill, Anchor Wam! Fruit Milk Drink Strawberry Spin--which are not produced in New Zealand.

The removal of the four milk products leaves 52 products that are to be tested by BFAD for melamine.

Gutierrez also said that BFAD would start the testing of milk and milk-based products from China next week at the earliest.

She said the samples will be coming from different regions and will be brought to BFAD's head office for testing.

According to the Fonterra website, it is a company "owned by over 11,000 New Zealand dairy farmers." Its shareholders represent 95 per cent of New Zealand's dairy farmers.

Fonterra is the sixth largest dairy company in the world by turnover. Dairy farmers supply Fonterra with "more than 14 billion liters of milk each year."

Misunderstanding

In an interview on Vice President Noli de Castro's radio program over dzMM Saturday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the products in BFAD's initial list of 54 products does not mean these are contaminated with melamine.

"There's a misunderstanding here. The public thought that the products in the list are already contaminated with melamine," he said. "There's no result yet."

Duque said the purpose in releasing the list was in response to requests from the public for information on the DOH's ban on China-made milk and dairy products.

He said one of the challenges facing the government is the fact that many products may contain ingredients that are made in China, but that this information is not disclosed in the the product's container.

"Companies should fully disclose where the ingredients come from," Duque said.

Duque said the BFAD had asked its regional offices to get samples from various stores nationwide for testing.

He said the DOH will come up with a "negative list" of milk and dairy products that should be avoided by consumers.

Nestlé: Six products listed are not sold by us in RP

Nestlé Philippines, meanwhile, in a statement Saturday, assured consumers that its products “manufactured, imported, distributed and marketed by Nestlé Philippines are safe for consumption.”

The company said that the six Nestlé products included in the BFAD list for testing are not sold in the Philippines by Nestlé Philippines.

These are: Carnation Calcium Plus Non-Fat, Nestlé Choco-Flavored Ice Cream Cone, Nestlé Vanilla-Flavored Ice Cream Cone, Nespray, Nestlé Dairy Farm Pure Milk and Klim Instant Full Cream Milk.

“It is possible, however, that these products have been brought to the Philippines by importers not connected with Nestlé Philippines,” said Sandra Puno, Nestlé Philippines director of communications.

Nestlé Philippines said that “raw materials for its milk products currently manufactured and distributed in the Philippines come from Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the United States.”

Mars Inc. says China products safe

Meantime, Mars, Inc, trade mark owner of M&M's, Snickers, and Dove brands, said that its products are "safe for consumption," including those made in China.

"Mars China does not source any milk powder or other ingredients for any of its products from any company which has been found to be selling melamine-contaminated dairy products," the company said.

"Last week AQSIS (the Chinese Food Safety Agency) tested product samples of Mars China's domesticmilk powder suppliers and found them to be free of melamine," Mars Inc. said.

"Mars has submitted documents to the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD), supporting the fact that our products are safe for consumption," said Henry P. Azcarraga, country head of Mars Philippines, Inc.

"We are confident that none of our chocolate or confectionery products that are made in China include any dairy ingredients adulterated with melamine. We remain ready for any testing by BFAD and hope that this process will be finalised soon", he added.

BFAD: Avoid milk products from China

Gutierrez earlier advised to public to avoid all milk products with the mark "made in China" or PROC, initials for People's Republic of China..

She added that Filipino consumers should also avoid infant formula and other milk products that have Chinese characters.

DOH and BFAD inspectors have been taking out Chinese milk products in markets around the country. Samples had also been brought to BFAD laboratories for melamine content testing.

The two agencies have issued memorandum orders banning the sale and distribution of all Chinese milk products in the country.

Other importing countries have also banned Chinese milk products as the Chinese government conducted a crackdown on all milk manufacturers that are using the toxic chemical melamine.

Over 50,000 Chinese babies have been reported sickened due to infant formula milk products that are contaminated with melamine.

BFAD's Initial List

The BFAD on Friday released a partial list of milk and other milk products undergoing testing for possible melamine contamination.

Below is the partial list:
1. Anchor Lite Milk (removed on September 27)
2. Anchor Wam Froot Milk Drink Mango Magic
3. Anchor Wam Froot Milk Drink Orange Chill
4. Anchor Wam Froot Milk Drink Strawberry Spin
5. Anlene Milk (removed on September 27)
6. Anmum Materna 180 g (removed on September 27)
7. Anmum Materna Chocolate (removed on September 27)
8. Dutch Lady Pure Milk
9. Farmland Skim Milk
10. Green Food Yili Pure Milk
11. Jinwei Drink
12. Jolly Cow Pure Fresh Milk
13. Jolly Cow Slender Low Fat Milk
14. KLIM instant full cream milk 1.8kg
15. M&M Chocolate Brown 40g
16. Meiji Hokkaido Azuki (Red Bean Ice Cream)
17. Meiji Ujikintoki (Red Bean and Green Tea Frozen Confection)
18. Mengniu Original Drink Milk
19. Mengniu Pure Milk
20. Milk Chocolate Bars/China
21. Milk Chocolate Candies/China
22. Milk Boy repacked
23. Milk Boy repacked
24. Monmilk Breakfast Milk Walnut Milk Beverage
25. Monmilk High Calcium Low Fat Milk
26. Monmilk High Calcium Milk
27. Monmilk Milk Deluxe Pure Milk
28. Monmilk Pure Milk
29. Monmilk Suan Suan Ru Sour Milk Beverage (mango flavor)
30. Natural Choice Milk Ice Bar
31. Nespray
32. Nestle Carnacion Calcium Plus non fat milk powder 1.6 kg
33. Nestle Chocolate Flavor Ice Cream cone
34. Nestle Dairy Farm Pure Milk
35. Nestle Vanilla Flavor Ice Cream Cone
36. Nutri Express Milk
37. Nutri Express Milk 15 Nutritional Elements (Blue, Red and Orange label and cap)
38. Nutri Express Milk
39. Nutri Express Milk Green Apple
40. Prime Roast Cereals 28g
41. Pura Fresh Milk
42. Snickers brown 59 grams
43. Strawberry Sorbet
44. Trappist Dairy Low Fat Yogurt Drink
45. Vita Fresh Milk
46. Wahaha Orange
47. Wahaha Yellow
48. Want Want milk drink
49. Yili High Calcium 250ml
50. Yili High Calcium Milk 1 liter
51. Yili High Calcium Low fat milk beverage
52. Yili Low Fat Milk 1 liter
53. Yili Milk
54. Yili Pure Milk 250 ml
55. Yili Pure Milk 1 liter
56. Yinlu Milk Peanut