Dear All,
Pls read below for your informations & do not buy these products mentioned below:-
More products being tested
19 China brands being sold here include Magnum, Meiji, Walls ice-cream
by Tessa Wong
SINGAPORE'S Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has expanded its checks on milk and dairy products from China for melamine contamination.
The AVA said there are 19 dairy and milk products from China sold here. Among them are well-known products such as Magnum, Meiji and Walls ice cream, Rabbit milk candy, and Monmilk and Yili milk.
Dangers of melamine
MELAMINE'S level of toxicity is not very high, but it is known to cause urinary problems and bladder stones when consumed, according to Dr Leong Lai Peng, a senior lecturer in the food science and technology programme at the National University of Singapore.
It may also cause cancer, said DrLeong, adding that a research paper has shown that male rats exposed to high dosages developed carcinomas, which are malignant cancers.
... more
Daily imports from China
China-made dairy items sold in Singapore include ice cream from Youcan. -- PHOTO: YOUCAN
China-made dairy items sold in Singapore include candy bars from Rabbit. -- PHOTO: ST FILE PHOTO
China-made dairy items sold in Singapore include dairy fruit bars from Yili. -- PHOTO: AVA
Daily imports from China
· Condensed milk: Black and White (from Hong Kong), Diamond
Meng Niu Group, which produces Monmilk, and the Yili Group have been implicated in the scandal in China.
There is no China-produced infant formula or milk powder available on shelves in Singapore; however, manufacturers here do use un-branded milk powder and other dairy products made in China, the AVA said.
When contacted about this, Singapore Food Manufacturers' Association president Allan Tan said it would find out more details from AVA before deciding on a course of action.
He added that if needed, the association might send out a circular advising members to be wary of ingredients sourced from China.
The AVA has already advised retailers to yank a China-made dairy product from shelves - Yili's Natural Choice Yogurt Flavoured Ice Bar with Real Fruit - as a sample of it here was found by the AVA to be tainted with melamine - the chemical found in the tainted infant formula in China.
Customers who had bought the ice bar should dispose of it or return it, said the AVA, although it maintained that other products still undergoing testing were safe to eat.
AVA spokesman Goh Shih Yong said that it approves only milk powder products that are manufactured in establishments regulated by the authorities from the country of origin.
Imported infant formula products are required to be accompanied by a health certificate as well as a laboratory test report at the time of import to show that the products are safe and comply with standards.
Supermarket chains said they are following the AVA's directive and have recalled only the Yili yogurt ice bar, with no plans to pull other types of China-made dairy products from their shelves.
But FairPrice, the largest supermarket chain here, has gone one step further by recalling all Yili yogurt and ice cream products, said Ms Chong Nyet Chin, FairPrice's director of food safety and quality.
'As for other milk products from China, we have requested and obtained written confirmation from suppliers that the products are safe for consumption. As a precautionary measure, we have instructed suppliers of all dairy products to provide verification that their product is free of melamine,' she said.
Nevertheless, consumers here are not taking any chances.
A Straits Times check with 20 customers at three supermarkets here found that all are shunning dairy products from China.
Housewife Lilian Chau, 57, said she had stopped buying Yili yoghurt bars and milk for her two daughters and would stick to trusted local brands instead.
Housewife Celia Lim, 30, used to be a big fan of Monmilk but has stopped buying it since 'just to be safe'.
Mrs Lim said: 'The packaging makes it sound quite convincing, of how they manufacture their product and have collaborations with overseas companies. Now, though, I don't think that I will go back to drinking milk from China.'
Meanwhile, the AVA is also conducting further checks on samples of rice and other rice-based products from Japan.
This is in the light of the recent scandal involving Osaka-based rice miller Mikasa Foods, which was found to have distributed pesticide-tainted rice to a total of about 370 firms in Japan for edible purposes.
The tainted rice, imported from China, is designated for inedible purposes - such as in making glue or other industrial products - due to fungal contamination or pesticide residue.
U tt to me... the acct details r on stated on the email
</font>
