Phillipine Customs Keeps an Eye on China-made pet food

As reported on Saturday-Sunday, October 25-26, 2008

Manila Standard Today

By Joel E. Zurbano

CUSTOMS personnel have been put on the alert for pet food and animal feeds from China after reports said that some 1,500 dogs in Northeast China died after consuming melamine-tainted feed.

Animal feed comes as the latest addition to the growing list of China-made products and goods that the Customs bureau has been closely watching in the wake of a melamine scare that gripped the world over the past few weeks.

In a memorandum, Customs director Jairus Paguntalan told intelligence officers were assigned at the Manila International Container Port, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Port of Manila and all Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service offices nationwide to “monitor and be alert for all shipments of pet food and animal feeds made/manufactured/processed/exported from China.”

The Food and Drug Administration of the United States came up with an advisory directing the recall of pet food due to melamine content and the news report of melamine-tainted feed that killed 1,500 dogs in Beijing, China.

“Even if the reports are only about dog food, our monitoring will cover the pet food and animal feeds but it will be a case to case basis. It will cover processed meat products for dogs, cats, and the like,” Paguntalan said.

“We will hold the shipment, take samples and conduct tests,” said Paguntalan, director of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service.

While the shipment is on hold, Paguntalan said, they will check on the agency that has the proper authority to examine and to give clearance.

He explained that dog food usually comes from leftover carcass of cows and carabaos which is then grinded.