True test

So far, so good that 28 out of the 30 brands of milk and milk by-products that have been tested in the laboratories of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) were found free from any toxic melamine contamination. These products were among the 200 brands of milk and other food products earlier pulled out of the store shelves following the milk scare. As of this writing, the BFAD has yet to test around 180 more of these products for melamine contamination.

Officials from the Department of Health headed by Secretary Francisco Duque III and BFAD on Friday announced that only Green Food Yili Pure Milk and Mengniu Original Drink Milk from China were found positive for melamine. Hence, Duque, henceforth banned the sale of the two milk products.

The BFAD test on these milk and milk by-products, especially those that were imported from China, was prompted by the official announcement from the government of China that they found this health-hazard substance of melamine contained in several milk products. The Chinese government made a clean breast of this melamine contamination after more than 53,000 babies in China were hospitalized due to kidney stone ailment. Four of the infants later succumbed to this illness largely traced from their having been fed with melamine-tainted milk.

Taking no chances, the DOH Secretary earlier ordered the pullout from the market shelves all brands of milk and milk by-products, including cookies and chocolates of unknown or unregistered origins to ferret out those sourced from China. While the BFAD is conducting laboratory tests on these products to detect melamine content, Duque issued a strongly worded public health advisory, “Don’t buy anything made from China.”

Duque took this bold move even as it bordered on straining RP-China diplomatic ties. He even raised it to the next level. He disclosed over the weekend that the DOH and the Department of Trade and Industry would make formal representations before the Chinese Embassy in Manila to negotiate for the possible compensation of losses incurred by Filipino importers and distributors who unwittingly bought from China these melamine-contaminated milk products.

The Health Secretary was obviously counting on the actions taken so far by the Chinese government in going after those behind the melamine-contamination. As far as China is concerned, there is no sacred cow if anyone breaks any laws of their land. In fact China fully supports the class suit and individual legal actions that parents and families of babies stricken ill with kidney ailment are now preparing against the makers of melamine-tainted milk products.

Duque, a physician by profession, allayed fears of Filipinos who have consumed Yili and Mengniu milk products. He explained that only children are vulnerable to the negative effects of melamine while adults are mostly likely capable of withdrawing the toxic content. Duque appealed to the public to report immediately to government or police authorities if they find any of the two banned milk products still being sold in local stores.

While he has thus far laudably handled this public health safety concern, it irritates me to listen to BFAD director Leticia Gutierrez who keeps complaining about her agency’s lack of budgetary support. The BFAD chief constantly bewails the lack of personnel and shortage of laboratory equipment to parry criticisms of the seeming delay by which the agency could come up with the results of their melamine testing. But whose government agency does not have that kind of problem on lack of equipment, logistics and personnel?

The BFAD budgetary woes are over under the Universally Accessible, Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 which Congress approved in June. Under the new law, BFAD could now retain its earnings from fees and other charges, which it previously remitted to the National Treasury. The BFAD is mandated to determine and disclose how it would use its retained earnings worth about P150 million a year, in addition to its regular budget. Senators Mar Roxas II and Pia Cayetano co-authored this law.

 The BFAD action in this particular public health issue was rather a delayed reaction. As early as December last year, there were already official reports trickling out from China about the suspicious milk-related disease. As regulatory body like BFAD, a pro-active office could have spared the agency from the sudden deluge of so many products now that they have to monitor and test.

Although it would take the BFAD more time to test the remaining milk product samples taken from store shelves around the country since September, Duque promised to release to the public the results of these products in the “tested” list by tomorrow.

Adding worry to this public health issue were the unilateral announcements being made by a certain private laboratory-testing firm about their own findings on alleged melamine-tainted products. While indeed there are private laboratory-testing firms accredited by the BFAD, the Health Secretary rightly pointed out, their results must first undergo the validation process of this government agency.

These private lab-testing entities cannot just go out to the press and announce the results of their own tests as if their findings are gospel truth. In making such un-validated claims, it does not only create public confusion but also panic and hysteria over this milk scare. No matter how noble the intentions maybe, it cannot be denied that these lab-testing firms could stand to profit out of it.

In the most recent past, a private lab-testing came out in media with their supposed findings that certain makers of methathione or gluthathione skin-whitening dietary pills were allegedly peddling their products with dosage less than the indicated content of dose. Hence, it erupted into a full-blown media war among the rival skin-whitening product makers. This corporate business dispute pulled the BFAD into the picture after it became again a public health issue.

The government may have some credibility problems. But public health safety issue is not something to tinker with vested interests.