BFAD checking Red Bull energy drink for cocaine
06/05/2009 08:10 AM
MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Food and Drugs is monitoring markets and stores for “Red Bull" energy drink after the agency announced the product could be tainted with cocaine.
BFAD Director Leticia Gutierrez said Friday that inspection teams are taking samples of the bottled drink from stores.
"Yung aming inspector pina-market monitoring namin. Nagpakuha kami ng samples ... tuloy ang market monitoring to find out kung may papasok sa merkado galing Austria. Right now ang nakita ng aming inspector ang gawa sa Thailand," Gutierrez said in an interview on dwIZ radio.
[We sent inspectors to conduct market monitoring. We took samples to find out if supply from Austria got into the Philippines. So far we have found the stocks coming from Thailand.]
But she said the BFAD has yet to issue an order to retailers to pull out Red Bull products from their shelves while the tests are ongoing.
Gutierrez said they have sent some samples to the BFAD laboratory for examination, including those imported from Thailand.
On Thursday, government advised the public to temporarily refrain from drinking Red Bull after some of its products in Austria tested positive for cocaine, an addictive substance that stimulates the nervous system.
For public safety and assurance, we had asked the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to check for cocaine content in the product, Gutierrez said, adding that in a few days the BFAD would know the results. - GMANews.TV
BFAD Director Leticia Gutierrez said Friday that inspection teams are taking samples of the bottled drink from stores.
"Yung aming inspector pina-market monitoring namin. Nagpakuha kami ng samples ... tuloy ang market monitoring to find out kung may papasok sa merkado galing Austria. Right now ang nakita ng aming inspector ang gawa sa Thailand," Gutierrez said in an interview on dwIZ radio.
[We sent inspectors to conduct market monitoring. We took samples to find out if supply from Austria got into the Philippines. So far we have found the stocks coming from Thailand.]
But she said the BFAD has yet to issue an order to retailers to pull out Red Bull products from their shelves while the tests are ongoing.
Gutierrez said they have sent some samples to the BFAD laboratory for examination, including those imported from Thailand.
On Thursday, government advised the public to temporarily refrain from drinking Red Bull after some of its products in Austria tested positive for cocaine, an addictive substance that stimulates the nervous system.
For public safety and assurance, we had asked the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to check for cocaine content in the product, Gutierrez said, adding that in a few days the BFAD would know the results. - GMANews.TV