Double-dead meat alert

Q. Nikki Pascua of Bataan writes: "Last week, my helper asked me to try a detergent brand that she says is "kaibigan ng kalikasan". I do appreciate her being environment-conscious but is the product’s claim true? Are there really detergent brands that are environment-friendly? Are these approved by a government agency?

A. Under Republic Act 8970, only detergents and industrial detergents that have been approved by the DTI’s Bureau of Product Standards are allowed to be sold in the Philippine market. These detergents must be free of hard surfactants.

The law, which became effective in October 2001, provides a list of environment-friendly detergent brands at the BPS office or at tel. no. 890-4859 or 890-5226.

Surfactants or surface actives are the main cleaning ingredient in detergents. They attract the dirt out of clothes and keep it suspended in water.

Hard surfactants, which were extensively used before, are petroleum based and are poorly biodegradable. The sale of detergents containing these hard surfactants, such as hard alkyl benzene sulfonate (CHABS), are prohibited by law.

Soft surfactants, such as petroleum-based linear alkyl benze sulfonate (LABS) and coconut-derived coco fatty alcohol sulfate (CFAS) are biodegradable and non-toxic. They do not pollute the waters.

DTI conducts a factory level check twice a year and a quarterly market level check to ensure that the detergents sold in the marketplace protect and preserve Philippine waters.

A consumer can check if a detergent product complies with RA 8970 through its packaging label. Any of these phrases or sentences must be indicated: "Does not contain hard surfactants"; "100% biodegradable"; "contains only biodegradable surfactant"; "sangkap biodegradable".

Before buying any brand, a consumer can also review the list of environment-friendly detergents, which is usually posted at the detergent section of major supermarkets.

Here’s a letter from Bong Bogabong, municipal meat inspector of San Pedro, Laguna: "Buying backyard slaughtered meat may provide you the freshest meat ever. But beware. In the absence of a meat inspection from a Meat Inspection Commission-certified person or a municipal inspector, the meat safety may be questionable. To recognize double-dead meat, look for these signs: the meat is pale, is slippery/slimy (madulas-dulas) to the touch, and the ribs are usually bloody and dark.

To ensure the meat you are buying has passed the ante-mortem inspection, look for the mark stamped onto the carcass (usually near the back shoulder, head and thigh). Meat that has passed inspection and is deemed fit for human consumption is also issued a meat certificate that is posted at the stall of the vendor, be it in the wet market for freshly slaughtered meat or the grocery store for frozen meat."

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(You may send your consumer complaints and comments to the Bureau of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection, DTI Bldg., 361 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City. Call us at our consumer hotlines at 896-5740 or 890-4938 or e-mail us at www.e-reklamo.net.ph)