BFAD declares Taiwan candy product safe

The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) had declared that Fat & Thin Lohan Kou Pei Pa Koa Candy 120 grams is free from formaldehyde, a preservative substance.

In a letter dated April 21, BFAD director Leticia Gutierrez said the samples of this product collected from the establishment of Hua San Wan Foodmart Inc. along Sta. Elena street in Binondo, Manila and in its warehouse in Kaingin Road, Quezon City “were analyzed and gave negative results for the presence of formaldehyde.”

“Clearance is granted to your company to sell/distribute only the above Fat & Thin Lohan Kou Pei Pa Koa Candy 120g products which bears March 30, 2009 and Sept. 30, 2009 as expiry dates,” states the letter addressed to Davidson Go, the company’s general manager.

In October 2007, Sen. Mar Roxas had named Fat & Thin Lo Han Kou Pei Pa Koa Candy as among the products found to contain formaldehyde.

In a press statement, company vice president Daniel Go noted that “over the years, as the most trusted brands in the market, the Fat & Thin Lohan Kou Pei Pa Koa Candy has provided quick relief from cough, sore throat, and loss of voice, and is popular among local entertainers and singers.” “Amid the fuss over contaminated China products, BFAD with its mandate to protect public health, has cleared the well known Fat & Thin Lohan Kou Pei Pa Koa Candy of Taiwan, and cleared it safe for public consumption,” Go said.