FDA seals canned Ma Ling in supermarkets

THE Food and Drug Administration in Region 12 continues to monitor and seal Ma Ling products in various supermarkets in Cotabato Province in southern Philippines, it said.

The agency inspected supermarkets and discovered that the banned luncheon meat from China was still being sold and was being kept in warehouses in Kidapawan City, FDA regional supervisor Nicanora D. Rabara said.

Supermarket owners must not open the sealed products which came from Davao City and were being kept in their warehouses, she added. Suppliers may seek permission from the FDA to pull out the items.

FDA inspections will continue in both grocery stores and in mom-and-pop stores, Ms. Rabara said.

The agency banned the imports, distribution and sale of processed pork meat products — including Ma Ling — from countries believed to be affected by the African swine fever virus. — Maya M. Padillo