Health Secretary Francisco Duque insisted Friday that only the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) has the authority to release results of melamine-contamination testing on samples of formula milk and other milk products.

 

Duque also urged independent testing centers to refrain from releasing results of unauthorized testing, which he said might "add to the confusion" created by the China milk scare.

 

“I want to appeal to other laboratories who might want to do their own testing to please coordinate with BFAD, and not release any information that may tend to add to the confusion,” he said.

 

The health secretary said independent laboratories, even if there are “recognized” by the BFAD, should “act responsibly and objectively.”

 

On Thursday, ABS-CBN News reported that eight of the 14 China-made products tested by the Qualibet Testing Center in Quezon City were contaminated with melamine.

 

The melamine-contaminated products include two milk candies, a chocolate brand, a milk powder for pregnant women, a repacked coffee creamer used in restaurants, a luncheon meat brand and a corned beef.

 

Duque said Qualibet should not have released its test results without proper coordination with BFAD.

 

He added that the timing of the results’ release to media was suspect.

 

“This is a situation that is very difficult, more difficult that it already is… All of a sudden, at the eve of our releasing our own results, they come out in media, and they say these products are positive [with melamine],” Duque said.

 

The secretary said the BFAD will have to get the actual test results from Qualibet. He said the government will also check the testing center’s methodology used in testing the China-made products.

 

Pinky Tobiano, owner of the testing center, said their equipment are the same as what BFAD is using to test the collected samples of milk and other milk products from the local market.

 

“We’re using the same equipment because we are accredited by BFAD,” Tobiano said.

 

She added that they also used a legitimate melamine reference standard in the testing.

 

 

Duque said the BFAD will make an official announcement about its test results around 11 a.m. Friday.

 

The health secretary had said that despite the BFAD’s proper equipment for melamine testing, the release of its results was delayed because of the late delivery of the melamine reference standard.

 

He said the BFAD received the reference standard Monday and may be able to release a “negative and positive” list by Friday morning.

 

The BFAD had released a partial list of 52 milk products that would be tested for melamine contamination.