The Ministry of Health (MoH) yesterday announced that the World Health Organization (WHO) informed that the percentage of dicyanamide composition in imported milk powder in local market is not harmful to humans.
A Ministry Spokesman at a media conference yesterday said, the WHO has also stated in a report that the presence of the chemical is minute, and therefore, can hardly cause any harm to the human body. The WHO has conducted the test at the request of one of the New Zealand milk powder companies.
The Health Ministry’s Food Advisory Committee (FAC) earlier made it compulsory for milk powder importers to obtain a certificate from a recognized laboratory, certifying that it does not contain dicyanamide.
Yesterday’s briefing was held on the instructions of Minister Maithripala Sirisena, in response to several media reports on the alleged quality of the imported milk powder.
It was also decided to carry out tests on the quality of the milk powder at various stages by a recognized laboratory and to appoint a sub-committee to carry out further tests to check the presence of dicyanamide. The MoH said, no food items should contain harmful chemicals, emphasizing that if any such substances were found in milk food, legal action would be taken against those involved in the import and distribution of such products.
Source: Ceylon Today
