132 products on suspect list

Star: PUTRAJAYA: There are now 132 products placed under the Govern­ment’s list of items suspected of having melamine.
This is up from 53 items on Wednesday.
Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the list of suspected dairy products consisted of items that the ministry had sealed during enforcement operations.
“These items will be taken and tested. We expect to have results for a few of the items each day. If it is given the all-clear, it will then be allowed back into the market,” he told a press conference at the ministry here yesterday.
He said the 132 items comprised confectioneries, cereals, breads, chocolates and milk.
He said the value of items sealed by the ministry so far stood at RM18,344.
Ismail also cleared seven items as free of melamine.
The items are: Passion Chocolate Coated Wafer; Kraft Oreo White Chocolate Wafer Stick; Wall’s Mini Cornetto Chocomint & Tiramisu Flavoured; Wall’s Moo Soft Cookie Sandwich; Dutch Lady 123 Honey milk powder; Dutch Lady strawberry flavoured milk; and Frisolac Infant Formula.
To date, a total of 574 items - in addition to the seven - have been declared safe.
Ismail said the ministry was not able to release the results on all the items at one go because there was a lack of capacity. He said it took 48 hours to get results for one item.
Ismail said the ministry was concerned about pre-mixed tea and coffee and that such items would be analysed as well.
“I also urge all those receiving and packing hampers to check the items in them properly. People also have to be more alert if they are receiving gifts containing Chinese-made food products.”
Ismail said consumers could now call four telephone numbers between 8am and 9pm every day for information about the melamine issue.
The numbers are 03-8883­3655, 8883­3652, 88833503 and 88­8­­­­3­3500.
They could also check for the latest information at http://fsq.moh.gov.my