The Bureau of Food and Drugs will be inspecting candy stores in Cebu to check whether imported stocks have valid expiry dates and that they are registered with their standards.
This development came after at least 23 schoolchildren in Madridejos town were hospitalized last week after eating Ube Milk Candy, which is manufactured in Guangdong, China.
Department of Health-7 director Susana Madarietta has ordered BFAD inspectors to confiscate not only the Ube Candy Milk but other products found to have no expiry dates and no BFAD registration.
Madarietta issued the order after learning that the candy eaten by the 23 schoolchildren in Madridejos had no expiry dates marked in the packaging.
“If there are no expiry dates, it means the products did not go through the registration process or analysis of BFAD. They can be confiscated. I have sent BFAD regulatory officers and drug regulatory officers to areas where these are being sold,” she said.
She said the inspection will be first done in Cebu City because the source in the Madridejos incident was traced to a store in Carbon Market.
Those who are found selling unregistered candies could be stripped of their license. Madarietta said they would recommend to the concerned local government unit the revocation of the business permit of the erring stores.
The Regional Epidemiological Surveillance Unit has already obtained the candy samples submitted by Madridejos officials. The samples have been bought to the Manila office of BFAD for testing and the results are expected to come out on Friday. — Jasmin R. Uy/LPM