21 April 2008

2 minute read

Asia

What's in a glass?

Huang Ing-haur, director of the COA's Department of Animal Industry, was cited as saying health and agricultural authorities collected samples of both raw and processed milk for tests immediately after news about the possible contamination broke a day earlier.

He made the remarks during a news conference held by the opposition Kuomintang legislative caucus, during which Huang and several other officials were invited to brief the media on their handling of the incident.

At issue are two brands of fresh milk - Highland and Chiang Chun - which are marketed by the leading food manufacturer, AGV Products Corp., and processed by an AGV-contracted dairy processing plant in Miaoli County.

According to an investigative report published Wednesday by Apple Daily, one of the plant's suppliers in Yunlin County has provided it with milk from diseased cows that was purchased at low prices from neighboring dairy farms. Such milk -- which were produced by cows during and immediately after the period when they are receiving medication - is forbidden to be processed for human consumption.

The revelation prompted food manufacturer AGV to recall the two brands of milk, and health and agricultural authorities to launch an investigation into the situation.

Huang was cited as saying the situation described in the Apple Daily report is quite unlikely to have happened because according to guidelines set down by the council on the procurement of raw milk by dairy processing plants, any milk tested with drug residues upon delivery to the plants will be dyed and rejected.

TheCattleSite News Desk