The FOOD and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned the public against the proliferation of tampered and expired food products in the market during this holiday season.
“The FDA would like to advise the public against some unscrupulous traders who are taking advantage of the Christmas season by selling and offering for sale tampered and expired food products,” said FDA Director General Nela Charade Puno.
“These tampered, expired and later recycled for sale food products pose great health risks to the consumers as they may cause physical discomfort, upset stomach, diarrhea, vomiting, or worse, food poisoning,” she added.
The agency issued the warning after FDA agents recently seized about P127, 200 worth of assorted tampered and expired food products from three stores located at the vicinity of Quinta Market in Quiapo, Manila.
The seized expired products include Queso de Bola, assorted margarines, assorted cube mix, spaghetti sauce, sweet tomato catsup mix, cheese mix, cheese spread, pasteurized cheese spread, chicken shredded meat hot and spicy, cheddar cheese spread and assorted flavor 3-in-1 coffee mix.
The FDA assured that it will continue to monitor food products being sold in the different markets.
“We at the FDA will continue monitoring similar establishments owned by unscrupulous traders who are taking advantage of the Christmas holidays and are recklessly endangering public health,” said retired Chief Supt. Allen B. Bantolo, officer-in-charge of the FDA Regulatory Enforcement Unit. (Analou de Vera)