The Formaldehyde Scare

The formalin issue about the possibility of food tainted with such substances has blown into major proportion, especially at present times. The situation had caused further paranoia among consumers recently. When some years ago, that possibility was denied and considered as kwentong barbero, this time, with hard evidences and substantial testing from BFAD laboratories, it has become eventually as one among our serious concerns.
The main culprit is Mainland China. The country had allegedly been producing and exporting commodities on the global market and rumored to have been adulterated with toxic substances for practical business purposes. Formalin in particular had always been the substance in question. To substantiate the allegations, BFAD conducted its own laboratory and confirmed that the substance has always been a part of the food. Prominent among these products is a famous candy branded as White Rabbit, the soft and vanilla tasted sweet which was one of my favorites during childhood. Then there were assorted biscuits tainted as well. This called the prompt pulling out of these products from the grocery and supermarkets nationwide. Some toothpaste exported from China was banned as well for containing such.
I remember formalin during my college days as a vet student at UP Diliman. The substance was very useful in preserving the cadavers that were used as specimen for the anatomy subjects. But it leaves irritations, itchiness and rashes on our hands considering the thick rubber gloves we also wore then. The odor was also nauseating so sometimes we have to cover our nose and mouth with surgical masks. We could just imagine the consequences of ingesting these substances down from our oral cavity into the esophagus and then through the GI tract. More paranoia would set in after absorption of formalin into the blood then going to different parts of the body specially the kidney and the liver. A small amount might perhaps be lethal and damaging to these organs while more than enough dose would eventually be fatal.
The formaldehyde scare had caused global concerns while taking preventive measures mitigating the occurrence of further exposure. CNN reports that measures
Had been taken by USA by banning some exportation from China. Perhaps the European community would eventually follow suit. Here in the Philippines, media had played a significant role disseminating information and creating awareness among consumers about the food they buy on the market. It has been noted that the BFAD seal is a very essential criteria in selecting foods to buy. And considering the wave of products exported from China and peddled into the streets of Divisoria, Baclaran and other crowded commercial establishments in Metro Manila, the possibility of formaldehyde exposure would not be remote. Vigilance would eventually play a special role among the consumers.