Awareness programs on melamine food products

by Ananda KANNANGARA

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The Health Department in collaboration with district public health authorities will launch islandwide awareness programs for food products which are contaminated with melamine chemical.

The first such program will be conducted by Colombo based public health Inspectors at the Colombo New Town Hall on October 22 (Wednesday) at 9.00 a.m.

Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that nearly 70 items being sold in the open market are contaminated with the melamine chemical and due to lack of awareness many persons still consume the particular chemical contaminated food items such as chocolates, biscuits, milk powder and cheese.

A senior Health Department official said that the awareness program will help the public on how to identify harmful food items from safe food items which are imported under the same brand name.

He said some varieties of chocolates and biscuits imported from Singapore and Malaysia are contaminated with the melamine chemical, but the same brand imported from England and Belgium is not contaminated.