ADFCA recalls two juices, bottled water

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Gulf News

Abu Dhabi The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) has recalled certain batches of two brands of juices and a bottled water for violating food safety rules and warned people against consuming these.

ADFCA recalled certain batches of the 250ml canned mango juice from Milco, Chunks pineapple, a Del Monte canned juice from Philippines in 836ml packing, and six-litre water bottles from Pure Spring Water (Salsabil), after inspectors found they failed to meet product standards, a statement issued by ADFCA said yesterday.

"We have ensured that those [batches of] defective products have been removed from the shelves in Abu Dhabi," a senior official told Gulf News yesterday.

"Still we warn the public to remain vigilant… some of them might have purchased and kept them in refrigerators or others might purchase [them] from outside the emirate," said Mohammad Jalal Al Reyaysa, Director of Information and Communication Department at ADFCA.

Asked about the steps taken to remove the defective products from other emirates, he explained that in such situations, ADFCA alerts the Ministry of Environment and Water, which in turn takes the necessary steps.

"That's the routine procedure whenever we recall products or find defective food items in the market," Al Reyaysa said.

The ministry officials were not available for comments yesterday.

Defects

The distribution of 250ml canned mango juice from Milco, manufactured in Sharjah, has been stopped, ADFCA added. Additionally, Chunks pineapple, a Del Monte canned juice from Philippines in 836ml packing, was recalled because pork was among the ingredients mentioned on its product label.

The six-litre water bottles from Pure Spring Water (Salsabil) were detained for further tests due to excessive bromine content.

The Milco product was confiscated by the ADFCA inspectors from Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society in Al Bateen area, Fatima Supermarket, Millennium Supermarket along the Airport Road and Al Safa Supermarket along Electra Road with the following manufacturing and expiry dates: 31/1/2010-31/10/2010, 9/12/2009-9/9/2010, 15/11/2009-15/8/2010 and 31/10/2009-31/7/2010, the statement said.

The Del Monte product, imported by Al Maya Supermarket (manufactured in December 2009 and to expire in December 2010), was confiscated based on its label which listed pork as one of its ingredients.

Additionally, in Salsabil's six-litre water bottles (No 17:22, manufactured on 7/11/2009 and to expire on 6/11/2010) sold by Middle East Supermarket, the bromine content was found to be far in excess of the permitted limits, the statement said.

In April, a whopping 2,307 inspection visits — out of a total of 3,009 — by ADFCA's specialised food inspection department to slaughterhouses, hotels, food manufacturing units and educational institutions indicated a major improvement.

During these visits, only 10 fines and 235 warnings were issued, a lion's share of which targeted slaughterhouses and hotels. The quantity of food destroyed during the visits amounted to four tonnes and no outlet faced closure.

recalled items

250ml canned mango juice from Milco with the following manufacturing and expiry dates:

31/1/2010 - 31/10/2010 9/12/2009 - 9/9/2010 15/11/2009 - 15/8/2010 31/10/2009 - 31/7/2010.

Chunks pineapple, a Del Monte canned juice from Philippines in 836ml packing manufactured in December 2009 and to expire in December 2010.

Six-litre water bottles from Pure Spring Water (Salsabil), No 17:22, manufactured on 7/11/2009 and to expire on 6/11/2010.

— B.A.K.

By Binsal Abdul Kader