DAIRY CONTAMINATION
Condensed milk highly tainted with melamine
APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL
Bangkok Post
A high-level of melamine contamination has been found in non-sweet condensed milk under the brand Mali, prompting the Food and Drug Administration to urgently order the manufacturer to recall the product from local markets.
The latest lab test showed the product was tainted with the chemical at a level of 92.82 milligrammes per kilogramme, which far exceeds the official safe limit of 2.5mg/kg.
The samples were taken from 150,000 cans of condensed milk produced with an expiry date of Jan 16 next year, said FDA secretary-general Pipat Yingseree.
"The agency has ordered the manufacturer, Thai Dairy Industry Co, retailers and health officials to pull this product lot from the shelves because such high levels of melamine contamination can be lethal to consumers," he said.
"The manufacturer has to ensure that its other products are safe for consumers. Otherwise, it will be the producer itself that loses credibility," he added.
Melamine is a chemical used in pesticide and plastics. If added to substandard raw milk, it raises the nitrogen level, giving a false high-protein reading.
The FDA was also investigating where this particular product lot came from, since the company claims to import from many countries, including Australia, Belgium, India, New Zealand, Switzerland and Burma for manufacturing, he said.
According to the Public Health Ministry announcement, the level of melamine contamination in milk powder and drinking milk products must not exceed 1mg/kg. For food products containing milk, such as candies, cookies and chocolate, the melamine level must not exceed 2.5 mg/kg.
Therefore, the company management would face either a 20,000-baht fine or two-year jail term for manufacturing and distributing chemically contaminated products which could be lethal to consumers, according to the FDA chief.
Deputy managing director of Thai Dairy Industry Suvit Phonviboon declined to comment on the issue. The company will hold a press conference on the melamine issue soon.
The latest detection of melamine in condensed milk had also prompted the FDA to be more careful when screening imported food and ingredients for production and distribution, Dr Pipat said.
Earlier, the FDA found that three samples of milk powder contained melamine, with one of them exceeding the FDA limit of 1mg/kg.
One hundred tonnes of powdered milk under the brand Beijing Shuangwa Dairy Co, a subsidiary of Dutch Mill Co, imported by Dairy Plus Co, was found to have a melamine level of 1.1-1.32 mg/kg. The product was intended for the production of pasteurised milk.
At least 22 milk suppliers in China have been accused of adding melamine to milk products to falsely boost protein readings.
The melamine-tainted milk is known to have killed at least four babies, made about 54,000 ill and left 13,000 hospitalised with kidney problems across China.
remark:
If this clown has been quoted correctly, just what does he mean by "credibility" ? Children have died from it, and all he is concerned about is the company!
