Govt rejects 'confusing' test reports on imported powdered milk

---

FE Report
The government Sunday rejected the reports of three separate tests carried out to detect traces of melamine in imported powdered milk of eight foreign brands, terming those 'confusing'.
An inter-ministerial meeting held on Sunday at the Ministry of Commerce decided further to form a high-powered committee instructing it to submit a fresh report within next one week.
"We can't accept the reports as those are confusing," said Commerce Secretary Feroz Ahmed after an inter-ministerial meeting which was chaired by him.
Meanwhile, the advisory council in its meeting on Sunday with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair discussed the issue of melamine-contaminated milk and asked for a joint meeting of the ministries and departments concerned and stakeholders.
Reports of detection of the harmful chemical ingredient in some popular brands of powdered milk created a panicky situation at home and an outcry abroad.
Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman apprised the meeting of the Council of Advisers that a 12-member expert committee was just formed on the day after holding a meeting with representatives of ministries and departments concerned, including those of Commerce, Health and Industries, Bangladesh Standards & Testing Institution (BSTI), Department of Chemistry of the University of Dhaka (DU) and other stakeholders.
"Samples of milk collected from market would be sent to the recognized laboratories at home and abroad for testing, and it is expected that complete test reports will come within October 27," the Adviser informed the meeting.
After the separate inter-ministerial meeting on Sunday at the Bangladesh Secretariat, Feroz Ahmed said to the newsmen: "We will not jump into any conclusion based on confusing reports. So, we have formed a 12-member committee to submit their report within next seven days."
The caretaker government, concerned over the matter of melamine in milk, will arrive at a decision after getting complete reports of the sample tests to be carried out by acceptable laboratories at home and abroad.
Since there is no concrete information, the commerce secretary said the government cannot unilaterally take decisions whether the imported products should be consumed or not during the next one week.
"The people will decide whether to consume the powdered milk of those brands or not until the committee submits its report," he said, replying to a question.
Replying to another question, the commerce secretary said: "We can't stop the sale of powdered milk of those brands since there is confusion over the test reports."
The DU's Chemistry Department earlier revealed after a recent investigation that the powdered milk of eight foreign brands tested melamine positive.
The eight brands are: Australian brands Diploma and Red Cow, Danish brand Dano Full Cream, Chinese brands Yashili-1, Yashili-2, Sweet Baby-2, and New Zealand brands Nido Fortified Instant and Anlene.
Out of these eight brands, merely one tested positive for melamine at two other laboratories including that of the BSTI where tests were carried out simultaneously with the one at the Department of Chemistry, DU. The brand that tested positive in all the three laboratories was Yashili-1 of China.
Following the confusion in the test reports, the government through an official handout Thursday advised the consumers not to take the products of eight foreign brands until further notice.
The commerce secretary said the twelve member committee, comprising the representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Commerce, the Chemistry Department of Dhaka University, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial and Research (BCSIR), BSTI and Plazma Plus will supervise the entire testing process to be done both at home and abroad.
Mr. Feroz said the committee accompanied by the representatives of the foreign companies would collect fresh samples from the markets and send those for laboratory tests.
The BCSIR and BAEC will separately conduct tests in their laboratories in the country, he said but he did not disclose the name of the foreign country where the government will send the samples for testing.
"We will not disclose the name of the foreign laboratory which will be assigned to conduct the test but it will be an accredited one," the commerce secretary said.
He also said they will take steps to carry out laboratory tests on powdered milk of other brands gradually.
Talking to the FE, sales director of Nestle Bangladesh Ltd. Mohsin Ahmed said: "Our products are regularly tested abroad."
Laboratory test done in Singapore recently did not find any existence of melamine in the milk products of Nestle, he said adding, the company has never imported any milk products from China in the past.
"We strongly recommend the buyers to consume our products," Mr. Mohsin said.
However, sector insiders said vested quarters are active to create a volatile situation in the country's powdered milk market to serve their own purposes.
The annual imports of such milk total about Taka 14 billion.
"We feel that some vested quarters are trying to reap benefits from the recent fiasco created on the traces of melamine in imported powdered milk," a senior official of a multinational company said, requesting for anonymity.
Ahmed Kabir, country director of Arla Foods, Bangladesh, which is marketing DANO brand powdered milk in the country, said they have also conducted laboratory tests recently on their product.
"The report of the laboratory test done in Germany found there is no existence of melamine in our products," he said, adding, "We import our products from Denmark only."
Bangladesh imported 63,000 tonnes of powdered milk from 11 countries in the last fiscal year. Of the total amount, around 23,000 tonnes are full cream powdered milk and the remaining, skimmed milk.
Of total market of full cream powder, Mr. Kabir said four companies having foreign collaboration account for around 70 per cent of the market share. About 90 per cent of demand from domestic household sector is catered to, by these companies.
There are around 20 fully automated milk processing units including three large plants in the country that use cutting edge technology for producing powdered as well as condensed milk products. Investment for establishment of such a capital intensive plant was around Tk 400 billion. Other processing units, set up in the country, have roughly involved Taka 150 million, on an average.
The factories created employment to around 15,000 people directly while thousands are working indirectly with the sales centers and outlets.
A total of US $16.26 million worth of powdered milk was imported during July-August period of the current fiscal year against US $19.35 million during the corresponding period of the last fiscal, according to the Bangladesh Bank figures.