Food and Drug Department issues warning over `filled milk’

The Government AnalystFood and Drug Department (GA-FDD) yesterday advised the public against the importation, distribution, sale and use of a “deceptive, misleading and foreign labelled brand of sweetened condensed milk” traded as “Nouveau ! New ! Promex Nova Leite Condensado Cheio”.

In a statement, the GAFDD said “This is not pure sweetened condensed milk exclusively from a dairy (animal) source / origin, but it is actually what is termed a

Filled Milk is a mixture of milk solids and edible vegetable oil and this fact must be clearly stated on the label for consumers to know or be aware of”.

In addition, it said that the label of any sweetened condensed filled milk should not depict a cow or any other dairy animal and must carry a disclaimer “Not suitable for children less than 2 years”.

“Such a disclaimer is necessary, because the digestive system of children is not sufficiently developed to process its contents. This product – Promex Nova, therefore is a very serious public health risk to consumers, more so, when the true common name to represent its composition is omitted and the label sets out to be deceptive, misleading and in a foreign language”, the GAFDD said.

According to the Laws of Guyana Food and Drugs Act Chapter 34:03 Part IV “condensed milk or sweetened condensed milk shall be milk, or a milk product, from which water has been evaporated and to which sugar has been added, and shall contain not less than:28.0 per cent of milk solids and 8.0 per cent of milk fat; and may contain Vitamin D”, the GA-FDD said.

The statement said that members of the National Food Safety and Control Committee from all regions in Guyana were briefed on the circulation of this product at a virtual meeting on June 10, 2020 and were advised to take enforcement action against this product.