The Department of Trade and Industry in Negros Oriental has assured it will make public the results of its investigation with the Food and Drug Administration on the expired food packets found afloat at Silliman Beach in Bantayan, Dumaguete City.

Angeline Gonzalez, chief of the Consumer Welfare and Business Regulation Division of the provincial DTI, however, said the DTI is only playing a support role to the FDA in the investigation.

FDA-Negros Oriental administrator Vicky Sibala is leading the probe but DTI offered its support since Sibala is the only FDA employee assigned to the province, Gonzalez added.

She said the DTI accommodated the request of Nestle Philippines and its local distributor, Island Merchants Corporation, not to allow media coverage of the disposal of some of the expired foodstuff,to avoid “compromising” the investigation.

Gonzalez assured that the disposal was done so it will not pose a threat to the health of humans or the environment. The expired items were buried inside a compound of the IMC.

The items, included brand names like Nescafe, Milo, Carnation and Bear Brand, and had expiry dates of September 1995.*JFP

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