Food and Drug Department warns against “deceptive condensed milk”

The Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) issued an advisory against the importation, distribution, sale and use of a deceptive, misleading and foreign labelled brand of sweetened condensed milk – “Nouveau! New! Promex Nova Leite Condensado Cheio”.

It noted that this milk was not exclusively from a diary source as advertised, but was rather a mixture of milk solids and edible vegetable oil. The GA-FDD noted that this was called ‘filled milk’ and the label misrepresented this, since it was not clearly indicated.
Additionally, the Department explained that labels of any sweetened condensed filled milk should not have a pictorial representation of a cow or any other dairy animal. The label must also carry the disclaimer: “Not suitable for children less than 2 years”.
Such a disclaimer is necessary, because the digestive system of children is not sufficiently developed to process the contents of filled milk.
The GA-FDD said Promex Nova is a very serious public health risk to consumers, especially when the label misrepresents the contents, ultimately making it intentionally deceptive and misleading while in a foreign language.
According to the Laws of Guyana, Food and Drugs Act, Chapter 34:03 Part IV: “condensed milk or sweetened condensed milk shall be milk, or a milk product, from which water has been evaporated and to which sugar has been added, and shall contain not less than:- 28.0 per cent of milk solids and 8.0 per cent of milk fat; and may contain Vitamin D”.
Also, Part II (6) (1) of the Food and Drugs Act 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 members of the National Food Safety and Control Committee from all regions in Guyana were briefed on the circulation of this product at a previously-held virtual meeting on June 10, 2020 and were advised to seize it upon sight. The GA-FDD added that the product would be refused entry into the country should it be intercepted at any ports of entry or in the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA)-Customs ASYCUDA system.
The Department reminded all importers, distributors, and wholesalers not to engage in the practice of trading products intended for use by Guyanese consumers that are deceptive, misleading, or labelled in a foreign language. It warned that these were all practices prohibited by Guyana’s Food and Drugs Act Chapter 34:03, and legal action could and would be taken against defaulters in the very best interest of the public’s health and consumer safety.
Consumers are also being advised, especially during this period with restrictions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, to pay closer attention to labels and not to purchase items that are improperly labelled or those that are in a foreign language.