We must be cautious about imported foods

Oct 07, 2008

THE massive poisoning of formula milk in China with melamine, an industrial chemical used in manufacturing plastics, is one of the ugliest faces of human greed. Melamine makes low-quality food look better than it is. It was being poured into weak or watered-down milk supplies before it was collected

By Catherine Ruhweza

THE massive poisoning of formula milk in China with melamine, an industrial chemical used in manufacturing plastics, is one of the ugliest faces of human greed. Melamine makes low-quality food look better than it is. It was being poured into weak or watered-down milk supplies before it was collected or turned into powder.

Although not a notorious poison, Melamine has been found to cause urinary problems, gallstones and kidney failure.

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) stated in The New Vision that Uganda does not import any formula milk from China. I was relieved to know this but at the same time disappointed that UNBS did not find this important communication that touches the lives of thousands of children to warrant at least half a page advertisement in the newspapers to inform parents more about tainted milk and what to watch out for.

I believe mothers want to know more about how safe the milk their babies are consuming is and whether manufacturers and exporters are monitored regularly.

The International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), a watchdog which monitors breastfeeding and infant feeding habits, recently released a global recall list for 2007-2008 in which a number of reputable brands were recalled due to inconsistencies in some of their milk batches. Some were found to have irregular mixtures of minerals like zinc, copper and bacteria, while others were damaged during transportation.

Recalled foods include a popular baby food from Uganda, which was tested by the UK Food Standards Agency and found to be contaminated with Enterobacter Sakazakii bacteria. The Food and Safety Agency warned parents not to buy it.

These discoveries show that baby food is risky. Any communication regarding anomalies must be communicated loudly and regularly. Contaminated baby food is as dangerous as the six killer diseases against which children are immunised.

Last year, China’s manufacturing reputation came under attack when European consumers discovered that exported children’s toys were contaminated with lead. Lead is a poisonous metal and can cause brain damage, hamper brain growth and cause erratic behaviour. No communication has been made in Uganda regarding this issue.

We have thousands of toys from China in our supermarkets and shops. It would not be a surprise if the lead load in the toys was more than that in toys sold in Europe. Chinese exporters know our market is more accommodating to sub-standard goods.

Parents have a responsibility to report any suspicious children’s product to the UNBS. Parents rarely read labels on products they buy like nutritional listings, expiry dates, preservatives used and country of origin.

With support from UNICEF, Mama Tendo Foundation carried out a survey last year regarding breastfeeding and infant child feeding practices. We found out that parents cared more about the brand than the information about the contents of the product.

The way forward is to involve all stakeholders such as the Government, parents and employers. The working mother, who is the biggest consumer of Formula and other imported baby foods, needs to be helped to breastfeed her baby longer.

Working mothers can also get a room and a fridge at the workplace where they can press their breasts and keep the milk for their babies left at home. This may cost the company less than a-quarter of the budget for the Christmas or end of year party. This should be part of every company’s community social responsibility.

We should all play our part so that when time comes, we hand over the country to the next generation with a clean conscience and without fear that generation will suffer from kidney failure, mental complications and other diseases before the age 20 because we were not vigilant enough to protect them.

The writer is a mother of two and CEO of the Mama Tendo Foundation

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