MILK PRODUCT CRISIS

SINGAPORE: Five more China—made food products sold in Singapore have been detected to contain the industrial chemical melamine.

Two are flavoured milk and three are confectionaries containing milk powder as an ingredient.

They are: Dutch Lady Banana Flavoured Milk; Dutch Lady Honeydew Flavoured Milk; Silang — House of Steamed Potato — Potato Cracker; Puffed Rice Rolls — Butter Corn Flavour; and Puffed Rice Rolls — Cheese Flavour.

The latest findings bring the total number of affected products to eight.

The other products that were earlier found to be contaminated with melamine are Yi Li Choice Dairy Fruit Bar Yogurt Flavoured Ice Confection; Dutch Lady Strawberry Flavoured Milk; and White Rabbit Creamy Candy.

The Agri—Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) says the public need not be unduly concerned as it has suspended the import and sale of all milk and milk products from China since 19 September.

AVA also says only low levels of melamine were detected in the affected products. Consumers have to consume large quantities of the contaminated products over a prolonged period of time to have any potential ill effects on health.

For example, an adult weighing 60kg needs to eat 13 packs of Silang House Steamed Potato crackers daily for an entire lifetime to be affected by melamine contamination.

Similarly, a child weighing 30kg will need to eat six—and—a—half packs of the potato crackers for the ill effects of melamine to take root.

For enquiries on affected products, consumers can call AVA’s hotline at 63257625 during office hours (8.30am—6pm, Monday—Friday).

For health concerns associated with the ingestion of melamine, consumers can call Ministry of Health’s hotline at 1800—2254122.

Consumers can also visit AVA’s website for more information.