The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) regional office is testing samples of different brands of peanut butter and pistachio products imported from the United States to determine the presence of salmonella.
Salmonella is a micro-organism, spread by poor sanitation and contamination with infected individuals. Contact with salmonella may cause typhoid fever.
Arnold Alindada of BFAD said that they have finished testing 15 out of 45 brand of peanut butter. So far, no products have tested positive.
In March 12, 2009, peanut butter products from Samuya food products were ordered pulled out from the market after some of its samples were tested positive of salmonella.
Alindada also expressed worry over home-made peanut butter products which are sold in local markets. He said theses products have not undergone testing and there is no assurance whether they are clean or not. He said market places are under the jurisdiction of the city government and the local government agencies responsible for checking it are both the City Health Office and the Business Bureau.
On the pistachio pull-out, Alindada says only the 62 pistachio products listed by the United States Food and Drugs Authority (USFDA) have been pulled out. He says that BFAD is basing their move on the USFDA which has already ordered the recall of these pistachio products found positive of salmonella.
Alindada says that testing for pistachio products will have to wait as they still have to finish the testing of the more locally popular peanut butter products. (PIA XI)
Food
