3rd China milk product has melamine: Philippine

By Dona Pazzibugan, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 10/09/2008-

MANILA, Philippines—A third milk product from China sold in the Philippines was found to be contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine, but health authorities sounded less worried about the extent of its effect on consumers.

Jolly Cow Slender High Calcium Low Fat Milk (1 liter), which comes in a red and white box, has a melamine level of four parts per million (ppm).

“That is high because (the level) should be zero,” Ma. Lourdes Santiago, officer in charge of the Bureau of Food and Drugs’ (BFAD) laboratory services, said at a press conference at the Department of Health Wednesday.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Jolly Cow Slender High Calcium Low Fat Milk had already been withdrawn from store shelves.

At the same time, the BFAD cleared 21 dairy products, including some ice cream and chocolate products for being melamine-free.

Melamine-contaminated milk has killed at least four children and sickened at least 54,000 others in China, prompting a worldwide recall of milk products from China.

The BFAD announced on Oct. 3 that Greenfood Yili Fresh Milk (with labels in Chinese characters) and Mengniu Drink (in Chinese characters) had tested positive for melamine.

Jolly Cow Pure Fresh Milk was among the 28 milk and milk-related products that the agency had found to be negative for melamine.

When added to milk, melamine, which is normally used to make plastics, makes the milk look richer in protein than it really is.

There are other Jolly Cow milk products in the market, some of which are not from China……. (more details from inquirer.net)