Reports stating that some canned goods from Thailand are contaminated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are nothing but fake news, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.
The FDA made the clarification after online reports and text messages announced that there are Thailand-sourced canned goods that are contaminated with HIV.
“The Philippine Food and Drug Administration would like to inform the public to be wary of the following circulating unverified, misleading, and false information online and text messages concerning canned food products from Thailand allegedly not safe for consumption due to contamination with HIV,” its stated.
The public has been advised not to share the “fake news” to their families and friends as such could only led to panic and hysteria.
“The public is hereby directed to prevent sharing of unverified, misleading and false information to avoid undue panic and hysteria,” the FDA said.
The said text message claimed that some 200 people with HIV have been instructed by their leader to contaminate a canned food factory in Thailand with their blood.
The incident, the text message claimed, has been confirmed by the government and has advised the public not to eat canned foods from Thailand. In addition, the Thai government had supposedly ordered the removal from the shelves canned foods such as longgan, lychee, rambutan, and mango pudding.
But according to the FDA, the Department of Agriculture has informed them that the said message is misleading.
“There is no credible evidences to support such accusation,” the FDA stressed. (Charina Clarisse L. Echaluce)