IMPORTED MILK POWDER SAFE, NOT ADULTERATED: HEALTH MINISTRY

The Health Ministry had confirmed that imported milk powder was safe and was not adulterated with vegetable fat or any other fat. The ministry has assured the quality of imported milk as safe for human consumption.

Issuing a public notice the Ministry said milk powder samples were tested by the Food Laboratories of the Health Ministry, the Sri Lanka Standards Institute, Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board and the Industrial Technology Institute.

“The results confirmed that imported milk powder was safe and not adulterated,” the Ministry said.

The Ministry further said the products that were imported into the country, had to follow strict import clearance and testing process.

“That process needs to be done before the consignments entered the country.

Issuing a public notice the Ministry said milk powder samples were tested by the Food Laboratories of the Health Ministry, the Sri Lanka Standards Institute, Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board and the Industrial Technology Institute

Apart from the confirmation of no adulteration, the tests also confirmed the nutrition and the microbiology levels of the milk powder as specified by the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) (SLS731: 2008) and international standard bodies.

The Ministry also confirmed that imported milk powder did not contain radiation.

The notice also said: “Imported food and beverages quality and safety were vested with the Director General of Customs under the Food Act No.26 (1980) as the food authority for imported food products.

“Many organisations assisted the Customs to ensure that the imported food meet the quality and safety standards which was based on international codex standard and regulations of the country.

“All imported milk powder shipments carry a health certificate from the Ministry of Primary industries of New Zealand which was the New Zealand Government’s assurance that the products were of high quality and contained only fats and oils of dairy origin.

“The Ministry assured to providing with high quality dairy nutritious and would continue to invest the growth of the local dairy sector in support of the country’s ambition to increase the local milk production.”