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House starts probe on tainted food products

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/07/2008 5:46 PM

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The House of Representatives started Tuesday its own investigation into food allegedly tainted with toxic chemicals, including melamine-tainted milk and other products from China.

The House Committee on Agriculture invited the Department of Health (DOH) and other concerned agencies to Tuesday afternoon's hearing.

Agriculture committee chairman and Palawan Rep. Abraham Mitra said there are several pending bills and resolutions which seek an inquiry into food importation policies and the safety of food imports.

Mitra also proposed that food labeling laws should cover not only finished products but raw materials as well.

He said the raw ingredients may have come from countries where melamine-tainted food have been discovered.

Closure of stores sought

Meanwhile, the DOH postponed to Wednesday the release of the second batch of results of the melamine tests conducted by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) to give way to a Cabinet-level meeting in Malacañang, where the government discussed their response to the China milk scare.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque said some adjustments were discussed regarding the testing of products, particularly with the BFAD's need to validate the test results of tests done by private laboratories.

The BFAD is also scheduled to test the 14 food products tested earlier by the private laboratory Qualibet Testing, which include two canned meat products that tested positive for melamine contamination.

Malacañang has also ordered the closure of stores that would sell products that have been proven positive of melamine contamination.

"The President wants to make sure the full force of the law is enforced and it would possibly close down thes stores who violate the BFAD order... That's the clear marching orders of the President to protect consumers," Duque said. With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

as of 10/07/2008 5:54 PM