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MILK and
other food products contaminated with melamine have
continuously found its way in the news the past month
here and abroad after infant formulas were blamed for
four deaths, kidney stone problems and other illnesses
in 54,000 children in China.
Although
only two brands of milk have tested positive for
melamine so far, Philippine authorities are still taking
precautions to keep out tainted milk products from our
shores.
The
government through the Department of Heath (DOH)
immediately acted by closely monitoring the entry of
milk products from China, conducted random testing of
milk products across the country and directing all
licensed importers and/or distributors of registered
milk products sourced from China to immediately stop
from further importing, distributing, selling and
offering for sale of said products until further notice
from the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD).
The
Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Presidential Antismuggling
Group implemented tighter antismuggling efforts in the
country, which specifically tapped operatives closely
monitoring shipments of milk and dairy products from
China, as well as being on the lookout for such products
reaching malls and commercial shops.
To guide
Filipino consumers in their purchases, the Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) reminded consumers to be more
discerning by thoroughly reading the labels of products
that they are buying and to refrain from buying milk
brands they are not familiar with, especially those
without labels in the packaging and are being sold by
street vendors.
The DTI
has also called on retailers to assure the public that
they do not have such milk products and voluntarily
recall brands that are found to contain substances that
are hazardous to health.
The
latest food-safety scandal in China began with infant
formula, but it now turns out that products ranging from
bottled milk, yogurt to chocolate products, cookies and
biscuits also appear to have been adulterated with
melamine, thus prompting a recall order from various
manufacturers.
Mistakes
or contamination may occur in the manufacture of
products, and this can pose danger to the health and
safety of consumers. When similar incidents occur in
different people when using a specific product, this
could be an indication that there is a flaw in its
production.
When
this happens, a product recall may be necessary.
Truth
is, mistakes in manufacturing do happen and even the
most reputable international companies are not exempt
from it.
These
recalls can cost a lot for the company, but is possibly
less expensive than suffering from indirect cost brought
by a damaged product image and reduced public trust in
the manufacturer. Big companies can recover from
product recalls, but can spell disaster or death for
small ones.
Aside
from losses due to discarding the defective or unsafe
goods, the company has to shoulder expenses in
transportation, product disposal, warehousing, overtime
for employees, damages, fines paid to government
agencies, among others.
After
disposing the recalled products, the company replaces
these with a new, remedied batch. This—along with
efforts to notify the public of the recall through mass
media advertisements, mail or the Internet—entails
further cost.
A
soft-drink company, for example, lost almost 10 percent
of its stock value between the time consumers from a
European country became ill after drinking its product,
and the day the company chairman apologized through
full-page ads in European newspapers.
Recently, the United States recalled instant coffee and
tea drinks, containing a nondairy creamer made in China,
for fear of contamination.
Recalls
may be initiated by a manufacturer upon discovery of
defect in its products, but there is also a law intended
to protect the safety of consumers from hazardous goods
by providing for their retrieval in the market.
Article
10 of the Consumer Act of the Philippines states that:
“Whenever the departments find, by their own initiative
or by petition of a consumer, that a consumer product is
found to be injurious, unsafe or dangerous, it shall,
after due notice and hearing, make the appropriate order
for its recall, prohibition or seizure from public sale
or distribution: Provided, that, in the sound discretion
of the department it may declare a consumer product to
be imminently injurious, unsafe or dangerous, and order
immediate recall, ban or seizure from public sale or
distribution, in which case, the seller, distributor,
manufacturer or producer thereof shall be afforded a
hearing within forty-eight [48] hours from such order.”
The
implementing agencies of the above provision are the DOH
with respect to food, drugs, cosmetics, devices and
substances; the Department of Agriculture for
agricultural and fishery products; and the DTI for other
consumer products.
Consumers can play a role in averting mishaps caused by
unsafe products. One can report the presence of
defective or contaminated goods to the manufacturer and
the appropriate government authorities so that necessary
steps can be made. Strong consumer movements in western
countries have enabled their citizens to demand for
safer products.
Companies can also forestall such occurrences if they
adopt quality and safety standards in their operations,
particularly in manufacturing and specification,
packaging and storage, methods of sampling, usage of
tests and codes to check product quality and standard
safety precautions.
While
great strides have been achieved by the government in
ensuring that only safe and quality goods are made
available to the public, a lot still has to be done.
However, much of this work should also be taken in by
the consumers who are in constant touch with the market.
Harmful
products may appear in market shelves, but consumers
must learn to be vigilant and to clamor for product
recall when necessary, especially when the life, health
and safety of many are put at risk.
* * *
Send your feedback and queries to konsyumeratbp@gmail.com.
For in-depth information on consumer issues, listen to
Konsyumer Atbp. every Saturday, 10:00-11:30 a.m. over
dzMM 630kHz. For consumer complaints, call the DTI
Consumer Assistance hot line 751-3330 or Text
DTI<space>complaint and send to 2920 for Globe and Smart
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