Possible melamine-laced milk products also removed from market shelves
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/25/2008 6:23 PM
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Days after milk and other dairy products from China were pulled out of their shelves, members of the Philippine Association of Supermarkets on Thursday also removed China-made food products with milk ingredients, even as the government has yet to release a directive.
Some of the products removed by the supermarkets are chocolates, biscuits, and snack foods made in China with milk as one of their ingredients.
The supermarket group said only those products made in China are being removed from shelves, and they said these will undergo testing by the Bureau of Food and Drugs.
The supermarket group added that they will first store the products until the BFAD gives them a go-signal to sell them again.
"Sa amin ang importante, makakasiguro tayo sa health ng mga consumers... magbasa kayo ng label nakalagay naman kasi ang manufacturer at ingredients," Atty. Federico Ples, the group's secretary general, said.
Other major supermarket chains, such as Robinsons and SM Supermarket, have also done similar pullouts.
However, some consumers have altogether stopped buying food products made in China, with or without milk ingredients.
"Susmaryosep, magtatrust ka pa ba sa ganyan, ngayon alam na natin kung bakit mura ang lahat ng produkto nila," consumer Maryanne Divinagracia said.
Supermarket owners admitted that China-made food products are now cast in a bad light.
"Di natin masisi ang public na matakot, di kasi pwedeng icomprimise ang health ng consumers," Cora Guidote, Investor Relations Officer of the SM Investments Corp., said.
Consumers also said that it would be better if government regulators release a list of products that should be avoided. WIth a report from Alvin Elchico, ABS-CBN News
