EDITORIAL : THE NEW STRAITS TIMES, MALAYSIA

 

Tainted food

AS the toxic sports drinks, fruit juices and dietary supplements produced in Taiwan have found their way into local supermarkets and convenience stores according to information provided by the island's Food and Drug Administration, it was only prudent that the Health Ministry has directed importers to take the suspected products off the shelves. On Wednesday, the ministry ordered the immediate recall of asparagus juice, lemon juice and orange juice made by two Taiwanese companies and suspended imports of the tainted products. On Saturday, seven more products, including flavoured tea, juices and jellies, were added to the blacklist. At the same time, the ministry's food safety and quality department tested samples of 30 types of food products that have been brought into the country. Though 14 have been given a clean bill of health to date, the director-general of health has applied the precautionary principle and advised the public to stay away from Made in Taiwan food and beverages for the time being.
Many retailers have responded to the warning and advice by withdrawing the imported products from sale. However, it is regrettable that some have apparently not done so. This inertia is unacceptable as merchants have as much a duty as regulators to keep consumers safe. Certainly, there's no reason to panic and a good reason for the authorities to inform the public in a timely manner. Some fears about food contamination may be unfounded as they were over the radioactive fallout from the leaking Fukushima nuclear plant. When it has been verified that a product is free of plasticiser and poses no risk to health, consumers should not be stopped from buying. But until it is confirmed that it is not hazardous, it should be considered as potentially harmful. What has been found to be contaminated so far could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Moreover, though the source of the plasticiser contamination is not shrouded in mystery as is the case with the outbreak of the deadly strain of E. coli in Europe, there is still a lot of unknowns. Though there is a long list of tainted products, there is no clear list of what has been exported to this country, and it will likely take some time to trace them. In any case, as food contamination and food-borne diseases regularly make the headlines, nobody should think this would be the last imported food scare in this country. This calls for sound early detection and response systems and improved coordination with exporting countries to limit the dangers that come with food from outside our borders.