Press Release
September 23, 2008

ANGARA URGES COLLEAGUES TO PROBE INTO TAINTED MILK PRODUCTS FROM CHINA

Senator Edgardo J. Angara today urges colleagues to probe into the melamine contamination of milk products from China in order to prevent similar cases of infant deaths to happen in the country.

"Poor families would usually put more of their resources on food consumption. Some are even easily swayed into patronizing infant-formula products sold in the market with cheap prices, without realizing that their child's health is put to risk. These milk products that mushroomed in the market may pose harmful effects to child's health. And now that this melamine contamination is prevalent, we must exert all our efforts to make the public a wise consumer," said Angara, who chairs Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food.

He added, "Melamine has no nutritional value. What it does is that it only makes products appear to have higher protein content. This is what consumers must be aware of and must be protected from."

According to the World Health Organization, melamine is an organic base chemical most commonly found in the form of white crystals rich in nitrogen. It has also been widely used in the manufacture of plastics, adhesives, countertops, dishware, whiteboards and fertilizers.

The addition of melamine into food is not approved by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) Codex Alimentarius (food standard commission), or by any national authorities.

Recently, there have been reported 5 infant deaths in China; 160 babies from China suffering from acute kidney failure accompanied by other complications; and 52,857 children hospitalized, most of whom have recovered, 12,892 of which were still in the hospital - all linked to the melamine-tainted milk in China.

China's three (3) biggest dairy producers by market value -- Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., China Mengniu Dairy Co. and Bright Dairy & Food Co. -- are among the companies whose products contain melamine, according to the government. At least 19 other Chinese producers have been found to have used melamine.

Other melamine-contaminated products reported by Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) include: milk, ice cream, yoghurt, confectionery such as chocolates, biscuits and sweets, as well as any other products containing milk from China as an ingredient.

Countries such as Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Burma, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Brunei in Asia; and Burundi, Gabon and Tanzania in Africa, have banned Chinese dairy products or at least have taken action to curb its consumption.

Meanwhile, reports said that China's Mengniu Dairy Group Co. and Yili Industrial Group Co. have already reached the local market.

With this, Angara suggests the creation of a composite team comprised of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD), and Department of Agriculture (DA) to conduct random inspection and examination of all milk products and by-products suspected of containing melamine.

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