THE Government Analyst – Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) wishes to advice the general public against the sale and purchase of “misleading” (deceptive) brands of evaporated milk and evaporated filled milk that are being sold on our local market.Evaporated milk is a milk, or milk product which is constituted from animal source from which 60% of water has been evaporated, and contains not less than 25 % of milk solids and 7.5 % milk fat, and may carry a pictorial representation of a cow, while Evaporated Filled Milk is a prepared blend of skim milk, vegetable oil, stabilisers and vitamins.
According to Marlan Cole, Director Food and Drug Department, the label on the evaporated filled milk cannot depict a pictorial representation of a cow and must carry a disclaimer “Not suitable for children under two years”.

Such a disclaimer is necessary because the digestive system of children is not sufficiently developed to process its content, and this amounts to a very serious public health issue.

Part II (6) 1 of the Food and Drug Act Cap 34:03 of 1971 states that “Any person who labels, packages, treats, processes, sells or advertises any food in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive, or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character, value, quality, composition, merit or safety, is guilty of an offence”.

The Department said it has recently seized and removed from premises, 909 cans of evaporated filled milk with deceptive labels, while 16,326 cans were seized and left on premises.

In some cases, the content of milk fat declared on the label was only three 3 %, with no disclaimer and a pictorial representation of a cow. In addition, a (1×20) foot container of Global brand evaporated filled milk was recently “refused entry” at the John Fernandes Limited Terminal Wharf because the labels were deceptive.
Some of the brands seized are as follow:
* Promex Milko Evaporated Filled Milk
* Tinny Evaporated Filled Milk
* Rosa Evaporated Filled Milk
* G.I.V Evaporated Filled Milk
* Grace Filled Evaporated Milk
* Big J Evaporated Filled Milk
* Red and White Evaporated Milk

The members of the National Food Safety and Control Committee from all the regions in Guyana were briefed on this issue, and were advised to take the necessary action against the deceptive products.
The department is also informing all importers and distributors to recall deceptively labelled milk and to surrender same to the Department for destruction.

For additional information, kindly contact the GA-FDD on 222-8859, 222-8857 or 222-8856.