DOH issues milk alert

MANILA, Philippines – Health Secretary Francisco Duque III urged the public yesterday to exercise caution in buying milk as health authorities in China recalled infant formula found containing melamine, a substance used to make plastic and fertilizer.

Duque said the public should avoid buying unbranded and re-packed milk products reportedly abundant in markets like Divisoria in Manila.

In an interview, he noted that without the brand label, consumers would not know who to go after if there is a problem with the product.

Recently, China recalled San Lu milk from the market when four infants died and over 6,000 others were hospitalized after consuming it.

The product was found to contain melamine, a chemical with no nutritional value but is high in nitrogen, and is used to make it appear that it is high in protein.

The protein content of San Lu was reportedly insoluble that many patients had developed stones in their kidneys, among other illnesses.

The milk product is not registered with Bureau of Food and Drugs, which screens products being sold in the country.

HK store recalls milk products

Yesterday, Hong Kong’s two biggest grocery chains removed all milk made by Mengniu Dairy Group Co. from shelves yesterday after traces of melamine that has killed and sickened babies were found in products in China.

PARKnSHOP and Wellcome supermarket chains began pulling milk from their shelves.

Test results showed nearly 10 percent of samples taken from Mengniu and Yili Industrial Group Co. products contained up to 8.4 milligrams of melamine per kilogram, a report posted on the Web site of China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said.

Milk from Shanghai-based Bright Dairy also had melamine contamination, it said.

Hong Kong authorities recalled all Yili products Thursday, including milk, yogurt, and ice cream.

Melamine-laced milk powder has been linked to infant deaths and illness in 6,200 other babies in China.

Suppliers trying to cut costs are believed to have added the toxic chemical to watered-down milk.

In 2004, more than 200 Chinese infants suffered malnutrition and at least 12 died after being fed phony formula that contained no nutrients. – With AP