UN agencies offer help in testing milk samples
Thursday, 23 October 2008
FE Report
Concerned over the powdered milk scam, three UN agencies have advised the government to withdraw all melamine-tainted milk products from the market immediately after confirmation of the contamination level.
Offices of WHO, FAO and UNICEF in Dhaka have urged the authorities to take 'immediate action' to ensure supply of safe dairy products, given the implication of melamine-contaminated milk products on health and nutrition of children.
"FAO, WHO and UNICEF offices in Bangladesh would like to express their concern regarding the implication of Melamine Contaminated Milk products on infant and child nutrition and health," they said Wednesday in a statement.
The local missions have also pledged to help Bangladesh in its effort to further conduct tests of milk samples at internationally accredited laboratories.
"FAO and WHO are ready to support the government for further testing of powdered milk samples by internationally certified laboratories," it said.
The statement said the government side should ensure food safety and quality, especially for powdered milk, by enforcing the national mandatory food regulations in order to address evolving episodes of food contamination, such as melamine in powdered milk.
"Suitable references need to be made to the Codex and other international standards, in this regard," says the UN statement.
It said that FAO and WHO would continue to provide technical expertise and advice to strengthen the national regulatory framework and build capacity of the state agencies to protect consumers.
Saying that food safety is not the sole responsibility of public agencies, the UN bodies said the food industry, producers and importers are also "responsible for ensuring a safe supply of food to the consumers."
The UN missions advised all stakeholders that breast feeding is the best, safest and most natural way of providing infants with the nutrients they need, and recommend exclusive breast feeding for the first six months of life.
"No other liquid or food, not even water, is needed during this period. Thereafter, infants should receive complementary foods while breast feeding continues up to two years," the statement said.
Concerned over the powdered milk scam, three UN agencies have advised the government to withdraw all melamine-tainted milk products from the market immediately after confirmation of the contamination level.
Offices of WHO, FAO and UNICEF in Dhaka have urged the authorities to take 'immediate action' to ensure supply of safe dairy products, given the implication of melamine-contaminated milk products on health and nutrition of children.
"FAO, WHO and UNICEF offices in Bangladesh would like to express their concern regarding the implication of Melamine Contaminated Milk products on infant and child nutrition and health," they said Wednesday in a statement.
The local missions have also pledged to help Bangladesh in its effort to further conduct tests of milk samples at internationally accredited laboratories.
"FAO and WHO are ready to support the government for further testing of powdered milk samples by internationally certified laboratories," it said.
The statement said the government side should ensure food safety and quality, especially for powdered milk, by enforcing the national mandatory food regulations in order to address evolving episodes of food contamination, such as melamine in powdered milk.
"Suitable references need to be made to the Codex and other international standards, in this regard," says the UN statement.
It said that FAO and WHO would continue to provide technical expertise and advice to strengthen the national regulatory framework and build capacity of the state agencies to protect consumers.
Saying that food safety is not the sole responsibility of public agencies, the UN bodies said the food industry, producers and importers are also "responsible for ensuring a safe supply of food to the consumers."
The UN missions advised all stakeholders that breast feeding is the best, safest and most natural way of providing infants with the nutrients they need, and recommend exclusive breast feeding for the first six months of life.
"No other liquid or food, not even water, is needed during this period. Thereafter, infants should receive complementary foods while breast feeding continues up to two years," the statement said.