FDA declares Turkish flour safe for human consumption

MANILA, Philippines - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory yesterday declaring as safe and fit for human consumption Turkish wheat flour following reports that it contained mycotoxins, which are toxic secondary metabolites produced by certain species of fungi.

“In the interest of protecting public health, all are hereby informed of the results of the exhaustive monitoring and analysis conducted that showed the samples of wheat flour collected are safe and fit for human consumption,” said FDA director Nazarita Tacandong.

This was the result of the second test conducted by FDA on wheat flour imported from Turkey following reports that the product contained mycotoxins, particularly Ochratoxin A and Aflatoxin. The first test that was conducted in March also yielded negative results. 

In a press briefing yesterday, Turkish Ambassador Adna Basaga said the accusations were baseless and undocumented, and the Turkish government is keen on keeping the health not only of the Turkish people but other individuals.

“I can assure the Filipino consumers and their government that great care and attention are being taken by our commercial suppliers and by our own Ministry of Agriculture through our Department of Protection and Control, as well as our foreign trade office, that all our agricultural products exported to the Philippines and other parts of the world have passed international standards for safety and quality,” he added.

Basaga maintained that Turkish wheat flour conforms with the “rules and regulation together with the norms” on food safety.

“We do not allow any production in Turkey (that is) not fit for human consumption. The Turkish government has never allowed anybody to feed any toxin to its people and the Filipino people cannot be a victim (of this),” he said.

Ernesto Chua Co Kong, president and chief executive officer of Malabon Longlife Trading Corp., the leading importer of Turkish wheat flour, said the product is becoming popular in the Philippines since its introduction five years ago and this could be the reason why it has been subjected to a smear campaign.

Kong added that Turkish wheat flour is P200 cheaper than other products of similar quality and that its local market share is now 10 percent. His company is the leading importer of the flour in the Philippines.

The Philippines had imported some 50 million metric tons of Turkish wheat flour worth $40 million in 2009.

The flour is used in manufacturing noodles and bread.

Turguy Unlu, chairman of the Board of Central Anatolian Cereals, Pulses, Oily Seeds and Products Exporters Union, said that their competitors feel threatened by the “inroads they have been making in the international market (so) they exploited erroneous findings to discredit the quality of Turkish flour.”

“It is a known fact that such erroneous claim is generally put forward by interest groups who do not want fair competition. Our main concern is to further enhance the trade potential between our two countries,” Unlu added.

Meanwhile, Philippine Association of Flour Millers (PAFMIL) executive director Ric Pinca said that FDA test results show that the Kale UN and Poodle brands of Turkish flour contained 3.85 and 3.46 parts per billion (ppb) of aflatoxin respectively.

These aflatoxin levels are lower than the maximum allowable limit of 15 ppb set by the European Union and is considered a “safe” level.

“Since they found traces on these two samples it is better to ban these brands. Why do you allow it even if there are only traces. The fact that there is still aflatoxin means that it should not be consumed,” Pinca said.

Turkish flour is P100 to P200 cheaper than the local flour. Turkish flour is priced between P400 to P580. Because of the low price and “inferior” quality, Pinca said they are considering filing an anti-dumping case against Turkey.

“We just need to get more proof that the flour they are selling here are cheaper than the flour being sold in Turkey,” Pinca said.

Indonesia has an ongoing anti-dumping case against Turkey.

PAFMIL said that it is in the interest of public safety that these two brands be banned from being sold to spare the public from ingesting the deadly toxin. There are other flours, both locally produced and imported, available in the market and these are even better in quality than Turkish flour.

Pinca said that big bakeries and noodle producers do not usually use Turkish flour due to its poor quality. Small bakers and pancit makers, particularly those in the provinces however are lured into buying this flour due to its lower price, not knowing that using Turkish flour may pose dangers to their customers.

A 2007 study made by faculty members of Heceteppe University and Istanbul University in Turkey had found cancer-causing mycotoxins in samples of Turkish flour.

The authors of the study warned that risk originated from mycotoxins should not be omitted on point of public health.        – With Ma. Elisa Osorio