SLS will be used to standardise products

By Uditha Kumarasinghe

The Dicyandiamide (DCD) milk powder issue created a gigantic controversy among all stakeholders during the last few weeks. Milk powder consumers were passively bogged down in a quandary as to how they would meet their milk requirements. In this backdrop the Sunday Observer interviewed Technology, Research and Atomic Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka to ascertain the role played by the Ministry to safeguard the interests of consumers. The Minister said they can only assure that the milk powder products released to the market by Fonterra after June 1, 2013 are free from DCD. However, some milk powder packets in the market, imported from New Zealand have been manufactured before June 1, 2013. Therefore, the Food Controller took a decision that the imported milk power products manufactured before June 1, 2013 should be taken off the shelves and destroyed. Having cleared the milk powder products at the laboratory tests as being manufactured after June 1, 2013, they can sell them in the market with a label saying the products are free from DCD.

Minister Ranawaka said Fonterra in collaboration with some media personnel deliberately created this controversy. They somehow used the media and the advertising budget as a leverage to create a complex situation. As a result, consumers were misled. Fonterra expected that a scarcity would be created in the market. But no scarcity was created as they expected. The artificial market has collapsed and the real market prevails now. Almost all milk powder samples imported from New Zealand before the manufacturing date of December 31, 2012 are contaminated with DCD. After that also there may be some contamination. However, after June 1, 2013, it has been changed and the DCD level is far less.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q:The controversial DCD milk powder issue has been dragging for the last few weeks and the public are in a quandary as to how they should meet their milk requirement. What action has been taken by the Ministry to safeguard the interests of the public?

A:According to the prevailing law in Sri Lanka, it is the duty of the Food Controller under the Health Ministry to take action with regard to any possible contamination of food items. According to the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, they have used DCD from 2004 to the fertilizer to fix the nitrogen. In June 2012, they came to know of the food chain contamination with DCD.

Then we conducted a series of tests. When we checked the DCD level milligrams per kilogram from June 2012 to February 2013, of the 1,994 samples checked, 371 were detected as DCD contaminated items. In September alone, the figure was 284. So it is an alarming level because it is 3 mls per kilogram.

The Ministry of Primary Industries of New Zealand have accepted that the milk powder was contaminated with DCD. In September 2012, they imposed a ban on the use of DCD to fix nitrogen. Unfortunately, Fonterra didn't inform our authorities about it. In January 2013, the DCD detection appeared in the Ministry's website, and Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena declared a possible contamination of imported milk powder.

Subsequently, an English newspaper carried an article saying milk powder imported from New Zealand is contaminated with DCD. Then President Mahinda Rajapaksa ordered the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) to investigate the charge. The CAA collected samples from the market and sent them to a Singapore laboratory and they too got the same result on April 3, 2013. They informed the Food Controller and he asked the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) whether they could carry out a test. We had to do the tests in an internationally accepted manner. Unfortunately, it took six months to get the tests done.

By now New Zealand banned the DCD contaminated food items due to be imported on June 1, 2013. So the controversy was created by Fonterra and some media personnel deliberately. They stopped adding DCD in September, 2012. Still the manufacturing date of some imported milk powder from New Zealand in the market may be September or October 2012. So, almost all milk powder samples imported from New Zealand before the manufacturing date of December 31, 2012 are contaminated with DCD. After June 1, 2013, it has been changed and the DCD level is far less.

However, Fonterra claimed their products in the market are free of DCD. After June 1, 2013, we could accept it, but not before. Still some milk powder packets in the market imported from New Zealand are products manufactured before June 1, 2013. Therefore, the Food Controller took a decision that all such imported milk power products should be taken off the shelves and destroyed. Having cleared the products at the laboratory tests as being manufactured after June 1, 2013, they can sell the products to the market with a label that they are free from DCD. The Ministry of Primary Industries of New Zealand still say their products are DCD free. They challenged our methodology and equipments. Our tests coincide with these results.

They somehow used the media and the advertising budget as a leverage to create a complex situation. As a result consumers were misled. Still milk powder packets manufactured before June 1, 2013 are in the market. They don't adhere to the prevailing law or standards of the country. Our laboratories are competent to conduct the tests and have received accreditation from Sweden. We have our own accreditation board as well. Some laboratories and institutions in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India and the Maldives have been accredited by the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment (SLAB).

Fonterra has temporarily suspended their operation in Sri Lanka. They hoped a scarcity would be created in the market. But there was no scarcity. The artificial demand has dropped now and 65 percent of consumption met. A representative from the Director Board of Fonterra personally met me on Tuesday and apologised for what happened.

Q: Over 80 percent of the consumers have been using powdered milk for a long period. Do you think it would be possible for them to switch over to liquid milk overnight as claimed by some people?

A: Actually, this is not the task of our Ministry. I believe it is an artificially created market with some Rs.400 million advertising budget. We can achieve self-sufficiency in milk. We have only 20 million people. If a person needs 100 millilitres of liquid milk a day, we need only 2 million litres per day. A milch cow can deliver 5 litres per day. So we need only 500,000 cows to feed 1.2 million. So it can be achieved. We should educate the people about the nutritional level and the calcium phobia created among women. They are talking about osteoporosis and some energy drinks for children. It is unethical to sell products by scaring the people. We should not allow such advertisements and the artificial markets created by them.

We are ready to handle the situation and prevent such incidents in the future. We have modernised our facilities. There will be a modernised state-of-the-art laboratory at Malabe soon with the assistance of the Japanese Government.

Our scientists are ready to take up the challenge. It is not only imported milk powder but other imported food items such as alcoholic items, wheat flour and sugar will also be checked. We will use the Sri Lanka standard to standardize the products. We hope our doctors, specialists and other responsible people will take the initiative to educate the public on these issues.

Q:The UN Human Rights Commissioner Navaneetham Pillay's visit to Sri Lanka is considered as a significant milestone to dispel the allegations levelled against the country after the eradication of terrorism. She will gather first hand information by visiting various parts of the country and meeting the people concerned. What are your views on this?

A: I do not believe so. She has not made up her mind. She always represents the so called Tamil cause, out there in South Africa. She is closely working with Yasmin Sooka who was a member of the Darusman panel. So I believe she is here to substantiate the charges levelled against the country by the Darusman Report.

The resolution to be moved at the UNHRC in March next year stipulated that Navi Pillay should visit Sri Lanka and give her oral submission in September and a written submission in March. So she will simply fulfil that resolution and its related matters. It may create harmful consequences to the country and its Armed Forces.

Q: Human Rights violations take place every now and then in countries such as Libya, Syria, Afghanistan and Iran. But the UNHRC has turned virtually a blind eye towards them. What is the reason for them to be concerned about human rights violations alleged to have been committed in Sri Lanka during the latter period of the humanitarian operation?

A: It is because these so called UN organisations and institutions have been controlled by the US and their Western allies. They use these institutions as a tool to manipulate global politics. Bradley Manning is now in jail for leaking about 370,000 files to Wikileaks showing that at least 109,000 civilian deaths had occurred in Iraq. It was the war reports from the US marine forces and other soldiers. Nearly 109,000 innocent civilians were killed in Iraq in 2009. Navi Pillay should investigate Bradley Manning's claim because they are official figures.

Here in Sri Lanka, we were not forearmed to face the international onslaught against the country. Our diplomats were not adequately forearmed to face the Tamil forces in the international arena. However, after the war against terrorism ended, at least 5,000 lives have been saved per annum because Prabhakaran is no more. In the Indian Ocean, there is a cold war among US, Russia and China. India is leaning towards the US. Unfortunately, we are sandwiched between these global forces. Otherwise, there is no human rights issue in Sri Lanka.

Q:The UN Human Rights Commissioner's mandatory assignment in the country is to look into the alleged human rights issue. But she has expressed her concerns over the allocation of the Police Department under a new Ministry. Does she have any right to air her views on an internal matter?

A: She does not have any right whatsoever to comment on our internal matters. According to our constitution, it is a power solely vested in our President to demarcate new ministries, departments or which department should be under which Ministry.

Q: CHOGM is supposed to be the biggest international conference scheduled to be held shortly, with over 50 Heads of State, which is a pride to the Sri Lankans. What would be the impact of this summit in respect of our socio-economic, cultural and international spheres?

A: I am not in favour of CHOGM because it clearly shows that we are still subservient to the British. But the forum could be used to enhance our economic, cultural and social ties with other nations, especially with the African nations. However, Australia, Britain and Canada known as ABC countries may use the CHOGM forum to propagate a negative image on Sri Lanka by using the Tamil separatist movement. So CHOGM is a good opportunity to explore new possibilities to enhance our ties especially with the African and Asian regions. But the ABC colonial countries, especially Britain and Canada are determined to use the forum to further destabilize Sri Lanka.

Q: Although the foreseeable outcome of CHOGM is favourable to the country, some disgruntled elements criticize it. What do you think is the reason for their criticism?

A: Basically, the Tamil Nadu politicians wanted to isolate Sri Lanka so that they could exert pressure on the Indian Government. In addition, India is also playing a game. Since their elections will be held in May 2014, they badly need the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu. Therefore, they are playing into the hands of the Tamil separatist movement in Tamil Nadu. They are doing a great blunder as in the 1980s to facilitate Tamil separatist movements in India. The Western countries simply want to dominate the Indian ocean against the navel and economic power of China and Russia. They too are trying to destabilize Sri Lanka and its foreign policy. So they may use this forum to further realise their goal.

Q: It is said that some pro-LTTE elements are aggressively involved in the Northern Provincial election campaign to capture power and realise their hidden political motives. What would be the Government’s stand in the event of them resorting to destabilise the Government through the Northern Provincial Council?

A: Definitely they will use this as a forum for that agenda. After the elections, they may claim that this is a referendum for the Tamil Eelam or crimes against humanity. They may compel the Tamil people to raise their voice to the international world saying that they have been suppressed and killed. They may also raise their voice to achieve their political aspirations.

The second phase of the Tamil Eelam struggle has just begun. It would be the motto of the so called TNA Chief Ministerial candidate Vigneshwaran. He would be the reincarnation of Anton Balasingham. They may propagate these ideas at the international arena and the UN as well. They may appoint a commission to investigate the so called war crimes and submit a report as a Provincial Council investigation at the next UNHRC session to be held in March. Even the TNA MP Sumanthiran said so.

At the right time, they may officially interact with Tamil Nadu , Delhi and the UN. They may attack Colombo politically, for example, they may destabilize the East and forge a new alliance with some Muslim political leaders. At the next General Election, the Muslim political leader and Vigneshwaran may join hands to topple the Eastern Provincial Council as well.

They may bargain these powers and try to use the excessive powers vested in Provincial Councils, such as police and land powers. They may even try to remerge the Northern and Eastern provinces. These things could happen.

After the next parliamentary elections, they would definitely know that no two-thirds majority can be obtained and may use the Provincial Council system to destabilise Sri Lanka totally. It may even end up in the UN like the Palestinian cause.

Q: The UNP, JVP and TNA are allegedly purposely evading participation in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC). In this backdrop, how does the Government hope to find a concrete solution to the long drawn problem in the North?

A: There is no such political problem in the North. The Provincial Council system was forced against the will of the people. So we have to change this system to suit the present circumstances. Whether the UNP or JVP participates or not in the PSC, we have to do it.

Q: It is the general belief of some UPFA leaders that the infighting among their candidates is mainly due to the lack of a vibrant opposition. Do you agree with this statement?

A: Definitely. Under the leadership of Ranil Wickremesinghe, the UNP has turned into a minority party now. He always thinks that by being a poodle to India and the West, he can come into power with the help of the international forces. So it is a serious problem.