Binondo shopowners urged to pull out tainted Taiwanese foods – Interaksyon.com.

MANILA, Philippines – Environmental activists on Tuesday marched through the streets of Binondo district, Manila’s Chinatown, urging shopowners to pull Taiwanese food products suspected of being tainted with a chemical used in plastics manufacturing.

“AlerToxic Patrollers” of the Eco-Waste Coalition went from store to store with placards asking owners, “Don’t sell unless proven DEHP-free.”

The action came after the Taiwanese government ordered the massive recall of almost 500 brands of fruit jams and preserves, fruit juices, sports drinks, teas, food powers, and food or food supplement tablets manufactured by 155 companies which have been found contaminated with Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP),

Eco-Waste said data from Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration showd that, as of last Friday, 465,638 bottles of DEHP-tainted beverages have been pulled out from store shelves, as well as 270,822 boxes and 68,924 packs of powdered probiotics and 28,539 kilos of fruit juices, fruit jam, powder and syrup, and yoghurt powder.

The activists also handed store owners a list of DEHP-tainted products.

DEHP makes plastic softer and more pliable.

“We have come here today with an urgent plea to all importers, distributors and vendors of high-risk beverage, food and medicinal goods from Taiwan to temporarily stop from selling such products until consumer safety from DEHP is totally guaranteed,”  Eco-Waste chemical safety campaigner Aileen Lucero said.

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