We have always patronized a local milk brand ever since Nico was born.  Since it was not possible for Nico to be breastfed when he was an infant (he had a congenital heart disease back then and sucking was a struggle), milk formula has become his food staple.

Our trusted milk brands were all manufactured by Nestle Philippines.  Being a preemie back then, Nico had Pre-Nan until he reached the average infant weight of 3 kilograms; then Nan1 from 2months to 6months; Nan2 from 7months to 1year; Neslac with Honey from 1year old to 1.6years old; and finally Nido Fortified from 1.7years old up to when he was 3years old.  We then shifted to Magnolia Fresh Milk on advice of the doctor, but only a few months ago, since Nico’s on track of being within the normal weight range, we’re back to Nido Fortified as Nico prefers its taste than Magnolia.

Of course, our patronage of Nestle products were based on the doctor’s advice.  But added to that, I’ve always believed in the quality and safety of Nestle products.  Why?

Here’s a consumer tip: when buying a locally-made product, choose those that are exported abroad.  Because products manufactured locally and are exported to international markets equates to saying that these products passed through very stringent export requirements and standards.   For example, milk products that bear the GMP, HACCP and even the Halal seal only goes to show that they are assured of quality and safety.

In the case of Nestle, it’s milk products are also exported abroad, particularly in the ASEAN market.  In fact, Nestle Philippines’ production accounts for about 98 percent of the country’s total growing up milk exports to the ASEAN market. The main countries of destination of Nestle’s dairy exports from the Philippines are Indonesia and Malaysia, both Muslim countries.  And knowing Muslim countries, they are really very particular about consuming only the products that are Halal-certified.

And another good thing about Nestle products is that its product labels are consumer-friendly.  As a matter of fact, the Philippine Department of Trade & Industry cited Nestle Philippines for the information it prints on its product packs for the benefit of consumers.

Found on the labels of all Nestlé products is the Nutritional Compass which has four major elements: the Nutrition Information, Good to Know, Good to Remember, and Talk to Us.

The Nutrition Information provides basic information about the composition of the product, in terms of the energy it provides, protein and carbohydrates it contains, etc. This box also contains the Philippine RENI (Required Energy and Nutrient Intakes), which indicates the level of energy and nutrients intake considered adequate to maintain the health and wellbeing of nearly all healthy persons in the population, based on current scientific knowledge.

The Good to Know box highlights the nutritional benefits of a product.

The Good to Remember box gives consumers good nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits and tips to follow.

The Talk to Us portion is where we put the contact points where consumers can reach us- our hotline 898-0061, our web address www.nestle.com.ph, and our postal address (if the space allows) P.O. Box 155, Manila. To date, the hotline remains to be the most preferred contact point among Nestlé consumers.

“Consumer feedback is very important to us. By opening lines of communication with consumers, we learn and understand their experiences with our products and how we can make things better for them. This gives us the opportunity to win every moment with consumers and strengthen our relationship with them,” explained Consumer Services Head Au Alipao.  (Nestle Philippines Website)

Just so it is clear, this is NOT a paid post.  Just a happy consumer speaking here. *wink*

Late last month, Nico had one of those bouts of nasty coughs again. Itchy, dry and sticky with all the phlegm trapped in his respiratory system, I rushed to call the pedia for a medicine recommendation.  There’s Ambrolex and Solmux, both mucolytics and Ascof Lagundi, a herbal cough remedy, that the doctor recommended.  Even before we introduced Oregano, Nico had tried Ambrolex and Solmux.  These meds helped but am not too happy with the progress.  So for this recent cough attack, I decided to buy the last one–Ascof Lagundi.  And I’m glad I’ve made the right decision.

The effect of this herbal cough syrup is much like that of Oregano’s.  It didn’t take long and minutes after drinking the first tablespoons full of the green-colored bitter-tasting herbal syrup, the next thing I knew, Nico was gagging the sink, expelling those nasty sticky phlegm.  And what’s good about Ascof is that it’s definitely very cheap.  For only P85 and my kid’s coughing went away after three days.

This amazing herbal medicine is manufactured by Pascual Laboratories.  Its main ingredient is Lagundi.

Lagundi is a common medicine shrub in the Philippines, and grows wild in many places like Mt. Banahaw. The use of Lagundi for medicinal purposes has a long history in the Philippines. The Philippine Department of Health has certified Lagundi as a medicinal plant for treatment in cases of colds, flu, pharyngitis, and asthma. Today, pharmaceutical companies sell it in tablet form at drug stores. A new cough syrup for children made from Lagundi is also on the market now. These products are approved by the Bureau of Food and Drugs.

The Department of Science and Technology has performed numerous studies on Lagundi. Phytochemical studies have revealed that Lagundi contains chrysoplenol D, a smooth muscle relaxant with anti-histamine properties. It also contains isoorientin, casticin, luteolin-7-0-glucoside, among other things which exhibit an anti-histamine effect. Lagundi also shows leukotriene release inhibition, an important mechanism in controlling asthma.

Today doctors in the Philippine routinely prescribe Lagundi as a remedy for coughs or for asthma relief.  (Philippine Herbs)

Too happy with the results, I think I’ll include Lagundi as one of my greens to plant as soon as our backyard is free from all the construction clutter.

There are so many thermometers available in the market today. With options just available at hand,  it can be tricky to decide which are the best and which are the most accurate.  When Nico was born in April 2004, I remembered it clearly that a thermometer was included in the Hospital kit given to us.  It was a mercury thermometer though, and while I loved the fact that it’s free, we didn’t take the freebie with us at home.

First and foremost, I don’t know how to get the reading from a Mercury thermometer. Haha! Shameful of me there, but yes, I find it hard looking for that “silver line thingie” inside that little piece of glass.  And good thing, it was a blessing that I don’t know how to use it, as Mercury thermometers, I just learned years back, is no longer recommended due to the dangers and the toxins associated with it. In fact, our Philippine Department of Health had issued Administrative Order No. 2008-0021 which orders the phase out of mercury in local health care facilities and institutions, included the order for Hospitals to discontinue the distribution of mercury thermometers to patients in their admission/discharge Hospital kit.

Our choice instead was that of a digital thermometer, the auxiliary (under the arm) type.   It didn’t take long however and soon when Nico was christened a weeks after his birth, we received a Braun ear thermometer as one of the gifts. It’s very easy to use and gives a quite fast reading.

However, Nico’s pedia at that time, advised us that we still stick with the digital one.  According to the doctor, there are several situations where an ear thermometer cannot provide an accurate reading. And this is especially true in infants younger than three months old as their ear canals are very small and can prevent you from correctly positioning the thermometer in the child’s ear.

But now that Nico’s older and has big ear holes at that, we’re back at using the ear thermometer. I assumed it though that Nico don’t have much ear wax as it can cause the reading not to be accurate.

(Images courtesy of http://www.ci.orono.mn.us and http://braun.com)

As of yesterday, BFAD has already removed four popular dairy products from the initial list of food items to be tested for possible melamine contamination. Manufactured in New Zealand and distributed locally by Fonterra Brands Philippines, these four products include Anchor Lite Milk, Anlene Milk Low Fat, Anmum Materna, and Anmum Materna Chocolate.

The delisting of the four milk products leaves 52 more that are to be tested by BFAD for melamine contamination and partial results of the tests on some other milk brands will come out hopefully this week.

This latest product recall has created somewhat of a puzzle yet to be resolved and for some panic, especially to mothers, who, according to latest market researches and studies, are said to be the most powerful consumers of all time considering their decision-making power as far as buying consumer products are concerned. And milk, being the food staple of non-breastfeeding kids is definitely one of these products.

In situations where product recall is happening, what is the best to do? How do mothers take on the issue? Debbie LaCroix, a parent and proactive consumer advocate gives us a handful of suggestions and tips on what to do if products that we happen to buy for our kids gets recalled and how to avoid buying items that may be recalled in the future:

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You purchase an item, bring it home, and take it out of the packaging only to hear it’s been recalled! Now what? Do you return it or just ignore the warning?

A product recall is when a manufacturer of an item finds something wrong with the product and removes it from the shelf or are they are asked by government authorities to remove it because of safety or health concerns. This usually happens if a product is defective, someone has gotten hurt, or a potential danger is recognized. If you have already purchased an item that was recalled, the company is required to either buy it back from you or fix the problem.

What gets recalled?
Anything can get recalled: cars, toys, food, children’s products, clothing items, outdoor products, household products, or sporting equipment. Anything on the market may be recalled at some point.

Why are items recalled?
The why can range from a small part breaking off causing a safety issue, to a problem found in a car or toy by one or more consumers. Though most products should undergo testing before they hit the consumer market, not all problems are caught by the testers.

Often times, some dangers or glitches are found by the consumers who are using the products in daily use. Most products are recalled before anyone is hurt.  Some common causes of recalls include: fire safety issue such as flammable items on clothing or overheating, choking or strangulation hazards, non-compliance on safety standards, danger to the user, lead poisoning, parts breaking off, mislabeled items (often with allergy related items).

What to do?
When a company recalls an item, you may get a letter or read about it on a consumer site. If the recall is serious enough, it will often be on the news. Follow the directions provided by the company. In some cases, you may be asked to return the item. In other cases, they will mail you a kit that you can use to fix the problem. You will not be required to pay anything to get the recall fixed.

What types of recalls are there?
There are two different types of recalls, voluntary and mandatory. A voluntary recall is when the company voluntarily offers to buy back a product or fix it. There may or may not be a direct danger in using the product. A mandatory recall means the company has been ordered to remove it from the shelf.

How can I avoid recalled items?
If you are making a large purchase, do your research. If a particular brand or company has a history of recalls, you may want to avoid purchasing an item from them.

In many cases, when a new product comes out in the first year, something will be found that does not work correctly. This happens often on cars. When looking at vehicles, if you want a brand new model, be aware that you may have to take it in a few times as glitches are found. If recalls bother you, be sure to look at models that have been out for a few years.

Look for companies that do not have a history of recalled items. Though for many products there are guidelines and criteria that must be met before an item can hit the market, some companies go above and beyond this and their products spend more time in the testing area before being released.

When shopping for toys, use your instincts. If there is a string attached, look to see if it could be easily wrapped around a child’s neck. Also look for small parts or pieces that look like they may break off. Also look for sharp edges. Cheaply made toys are more likely to break.

Do realize that you may not be able avoid a recall altogether.

When your purchase a new product, you may find a postcard to fill out and mail to the company. One purpose of this card is so company can contact you in case of a problem. Be sure to fill it out and mail it in right away.

These are common when you purchase items such as strollers and car seats.
If something you own has been recalled, do not panic.

Just follow the directions and let the company take care of you. If you find something wrong with a product, be sure to let the company know. You are may not be the only person experiencing that problem.

(this article is also posted at The Filipino Mom Blog–because Motherhood is a journey best travelled with friends)

Trade and Industry Secretary Peter B. Favila has instructed all DTI regional and provincial offices to assist the Department of Health (DOH) in monitoring the presence of contaminated Chinese infant milk in the market.

“All our field offices are working with the health department to ensure that contaminated milk products from China will not be sold to consumers,” DTI Secretary Favila said.

The health department is the lead government agency in ensuring that safe food and drugs are retailed in the market. It is mandated to register and license food and drugs products that are tested safe for consumers.

Meanwhile, DTI Undersecretary for Consumer Welfare Zenaida C. Maglaya asked supermarket owners to voluntarily withdraw from their shelves imported milk until tests from the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) are completed.

“We also appeal to consumers to buy only branded milk products and momentarily stay away from imported Chinese milk until they are declared safe for human consumption,” Undersecretary Maglaya said.

It is best to buy known brands for the product safety and stay away from repacked milk products that do not have labels, Undersecretary Maglaya added.

Moreover, she said, it is unsafe to buy milk products without labels since consumers will not be informed of the products’ ingredients and the expiration dates, including its source, whether imported or locally produced.

Reports said that milk manufactured from China’s Sanlu Group are contaminated with toxic substance melamine. The substance was reported to be the cause of kidney problems for babies in China’s Gansu province, Beijing City and Shanghai.

“We encourage consumers to report products from China’s Sanlu Group sold at the market to DTI Direct 751-3330 open from Monday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm or you could also go to the nearest DTI Regional and Provincial offices.

Complaint may call the Office of Secretary Favila at 0917.8063473 or by texting: DTI (space) message and sending it to 2920 for both Globe and Smart subscribers,” reminded Undersecretary Maglaya. (end)

Unfortunately for me, yes. I give my son Paracetamol every time he has fever.  On doctor’s prescription, Tempra Forte or Biogesic for Kids are two most-trusted brands that I consistently patronize as they’ve proven to relieve my son’s fever.

Now, why did I say: unfortunately? Because I just read today an article in HealthDay News which linked acetaminophen to developing childhood asthma.

Acetaminophen, the USAN (United States Adopted Names) equivalent of Paracetamol, if given to children during the first year of life to reduce fever, are more likely to develop asthma later on, a new study by the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand in Wellington stated.

Children who are given acetaminophen/paracetamol are also more likely to develop rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema when they reach age 6 to 7, the study also indicated.

“If this association is causative, it would suggest that acetaminophen use is a risk factor for asthma and may explain the asthma has become more common,” said the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Richard Beasley.

For the study, Beasley’s group collected data on 205,487 children from 31 countries around the world. These children participated in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood.

The researchers found that children who were given acetaminophen for fever during the first year of life had a 46 percent increased risk of developing asthma when they were 6 to 7 years old.

In addition, children who were given high doses of acetaminophen within the past year had a more than three times increased risk of asthma. Those who were given medium doses had a 61 percent increased risk of developing the condition, Beasley’s team reported.

Acetaminophen use was also associated with an increased risk of severe asthma of about 22 percent to 38 percent, the researchers found.

Well, the study can’t definitively say that acetaminophen is a cause of asthma. In fact, Dr. Beasley said its use for children shouldn’t be changed.  Dr. Beasley thinks however, that the medicine should not be used routinely for childhood fever, but reserved for high fevers.  Sadly for me, I religiously give Paracetamol to my son even if his fever isn’t that high.

Now, I am caught in the middle into thinking if the bouts of asthma attacks that my son had before were worsened by the intake of Paracetamol. I really hope not. Anyway, the study says it is non conclusive of the direct association of asthma and acetaminophen. “Asthma may be caused by something else,” the study adds. The study is a good “precaution read” especially that it stresses the importance of giving the right dosage of medicine for high fever.  But then again, it raises a lot more of questions in my mind.  Hope to get to read a follow-up study on this one in the near future.

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In the meantime, I’ve also read that Ibufrofen may be best for kid’s fever. Here’s what a news article in BabyCenter.com stated:

As reported in the British Medical Journal, Dr. Alastair D. Hay, from the University of Bristol, UK, and colleagues assessed the duration of fever in 146 children, between 6 months and 6 years of age, who were randomly assigned to get ibuprofen, paracetamol, or both for a high temperature.

In the first 4 hours after treatment, the drug combination cut the duration of fever by about 55 minutes compared with paracetamol alone. Ibuprofen alone was comparable to the combined therapy.

Over 24 hours, paracetamol plus ibuprofen reduced the fever duration by 4.4 hours relative to paracetamol alone and by 2.5 hours compared to ibuprofen alone.

Side effects were comparable with each treatment.

The authors of the report conclude: “Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and parents wanting to use medicines to treat young, unwell children with fever should be advised to use ibuprofen first and to consider the relative benefits and risks of using paracetamol plus ibuprofen over a 24 hour period.”

But what is a mother to do if she found out that the supposed “basic food staple” of her child is tainted with a kidney stone-causing substance that might eventually put her child’s health at risk?

Over the last few days, news reports have been circulating about the outrage in China over the alleged contamination of melamine in the milk formula manufactured by the San Lu Group.  Melamine, a chemical substance used for manufacturing plasticwares , is a toxin linked to development of kidney stones in about 1,200 babies and the death of at least two babies in China. (As of this writing though, China Health Minister Chen Zhut reported that a third baby already died of the same cause.)

According to the 17th September post in chinaSmack, a website that attempts to share a “slice of Chinese life”, Sanlu initially claimed that their products have repeatedly past quality tests, meet national quality standards, and the sick babies must have been fed counterfeit milk powder that used their brand name. However, last night, the Ministry of Health pointed out that there is suspicion of melamine contamination last night. Melamine can be added to make food products appear to have more protein.

Minutes after the government announcement, Sanlu issued a recall of 700 tons of milk powder. They said they wanted to be responsible to their consumers, and also claimed that a self-inspection showed melamine contamination for all milk powder produced before August 6th.

In 2007, melamine was also the cause of the bad pet food. Some Chinese netizens have commented that now Chinese lives are worth less than the lives of American dogs and cats.

Sanlu is now blaming peasant milk farmers who provide the company with milk. Police have begun arresting milk farmers. However, many Chinese do not believe this. They wonder how can farmers know how to use melamine or how can this problem affect all of their milk powder and not just some of it. (ChinaSmack)

This issue of national concern have already escalated and there seems to be a never-ending debate on who is to blame: Government food safety supervision is incompetent. Sanlu, the company itself, has a serious problem.  There were even reports that the Reports from Beijing said reasons for the delay were unclear, but speculation abounded that China’s authorities blew up the milk controversy just to cover up the issues hounding the Beijing Olympics.

Tsk. Tsk.

(Image from http://www.chinasmack.com)

]]> http://themeticulousmommy.com/2008/09/17/kidney-stone-causing-substance-in-milk-formula/feed/ http://themeticulousmommy.com/2008/09/17/kidney-stone-causing-substance-in-milk-formula/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheMeticulousMommy/~3/XKfLoT9SFvY/ http://themeticulousmommy.com/2008/09/13/haccp-certified-mark-in-processed-food-products/#comments Sat, 13 Sep 2008 06:25:30 +0000 feng http://themeticulousmommy.com/?p=126

HACCP-certified.  We often see this mark in food labels of processed food.  Me, I spotted the HACCP mark twice in our groceries today– in the plastic package of Gardenia Bread and the vacuum plastic pack of Purefoods TJ Hotdogs for my Little Boy. But what does it mean for us Mommy consumers?

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), according to the Wikipedia, is a systematic preventive approach to food safety and pharmaceutical safety that addresses physical, chemical, and biological hazards as a means of prevention rather than finished product inspection. HACCP is used in the food industry to identify potential food safety hazards, so that key actions, known as Critical Control Points (CCP’s) can be taken to reduce or eliminate the risk of the hazards being realized.

Short to say, when we see the HACCP-certified mark, it means the food or pharmaceutical product’s quality and safety is assured. 

In the Philippines, HACCP can only be applied in food processing plants where Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is already in place. GMP is a system which checks the safety and suitability of food facilities, practices, and controls in food manufacturing. It also includes measures that guarantee that the food has been processed under sanitary conditions.

The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry through its Bureau of Export Trade Promotion along with other members agencies grants HACCP certification/accreditation to qualified domestic food manufacturers.  Local food companies who often apply for HACCP certification are those that export their products in export markets because it is a required food standard.

And since Nico is just getting used to manipulating scissors (yes, he’s not used to using scissors. you would not believe this, but in Nico’s former school, scissors are strictly a no-no for preschoolers as the school viewed scissors to be dangerous for kids), we looked for the one without the metal but is sharp enough to cut through paper.

We were able to find one, but Nico got tired using them after a while since it can’t cut through paper easily. Aside from that, he had to pull the scissor back in its V position by using his other hand, making the cutting a bit of a struggle.

Good thing Teacher Julie showed me at one time we were at the Center, a scissor with a pretty little plastic stick in the middle of the handle.  Coming from the Center, we immediately trooped the nearest National Bookstore and for a price of a little over P130, Nico tried and discovered the fun in cutting with a scissor.

The little piece of plastic stick automatically pushes back the scissor in its V position, making cutting easier for a preschooler just learning snip and manipulate the scissor.

Talk about a simple, yet brilliant scissor invention that will make cutting activities for a preschooler more enjoyable.

Every once in a while, this Blog will solicit among Mommy Bloggers of their latest product finds, consumer product reviews or simply just about anything that has to do with the Mother’s buying adventures and misadventures.  We wouldn’t want to be fooled by false marketing gimmicks and caught unaware of the consequences we’re about to face after pouring hard-earned money into a product or service, don’t we?

By sharing each others’ rich purchasing experiences, we Moms empower one another to be wiser, more clever and a more meticulous consumer.

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For our first round of sharing, we wished to know your good find/ best buy in the Supermarket/Grocery this week which are intended for your kid/s’ use. No limitations on the type of products. It can either be food, or clothes, or hygiene products, among others.  It would be good to have a photo of the product in the post, plus the reason/s why you considered it a good find/best buy.

Kindly comment in this post or leave a ping or trackback to notify me of your published post.  The final round-up will be posted Friday.  Thanks in advance for participating.

(Photo courtersy of http://www.cartoonstock.com)