RP bans Danish milk imports

Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor ordered yesterday a ban on the importation of a brand of powdered milk produced in a plant in Denmark after samples were allegedly found to be contaminated by lubricating oil and steel flakes.

The order by the Department of Agriculture followed the announcement by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) on Thursday of the immediate recall of four batches of the Denmark-made Gain Plus milk products.

The products were distributed locally by the Philippine unit of Abbot Laboratories Inc., which had agreed to stop selling and retrieve all potentially affected products.

The BFAD advised people to return to Abbot all 200-gram pouches of Gain Plus with lot numbers 85-583-YX, 85-585-YX, 86-617-YX and 86-620-YX.

Montemayor said in a memorandum that he had ordered all quarantine officials to stop or confiscate affected products originating from the Aria Foods Hamba (Arinco) plant in Denmark. The order takes effect immediately.

"I institute an emergency measure banning the importation of milk power from Arinco plant as there is a need to protect the consumers from these contaminated (products)," he said in the memorandum.

Montemayor said Abbott Laboratories Philippines imports powdered milk from this plant.

A statement from Abbot Laboratories Philippines, a unit of the US-based health products maker said, "Consistent with Abbott’s commitment to provide only the highest quality products, Abbott will stop selling and retrieve all potentially affected 200-gram product pouches of Gain Plus from the trade."

The statement said, "To ensure continuity of supply to the public, Abbott will replace 200-gram pouches of Gain Plus in a manner to ensure minimal disruptions."

The BFAD said it received a report from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration that the contamination in the plant occurred because an axle in a gearbox was so worn out that oil could seep out through a ball joint and down to the powdered milk.

An estimated 173,000 units were contaminated.