FreebieMNL - FDA flagging BongBong’s Piaya, The Ordinary is making many Filipinos unhappy

FDA flagging BongBong’s Piaya, The Ordinary is making many Filipinos unhappy

FreebieMNL - FDA flagging BongBong’s Piaya, The Ordinary is making many Filipinos unhappy

In fact, the Food and Drug Administration’s latest advisories on many other well-liked products are leaving many Filipinos disappointed.

Usually, when the Food and Drug Administration issues a public advisory regarding products that are yet to acquire safety certifications from them, no one bats an eye. They do it daily, as a matter of fact, but no one cared until recently, when the agency drew heat from food-loving Filipinos for setting their sights on everyone’s favorite pasalubongBongBong’s Special Piaya from Negros Occidental¸which is apparently unregistered to them.

https://www.facebook.com/FDAPhilippines/photos/a.449938625062197/4267545899968098/

The toasted treat, along with a slew of other Filipino delicacies like BongBong’s polvoron, Sloan’s barquillos, and Ruffa’s banana chips, were all named as products which the FDA warned the public against buying last July 15. 

With pitchforks in their right hand and presumably piaya on the other, netizens went for FDA in retaliation. Most were up in arms to defend the mighty piaya, saying that the timing is fishy given how the tasty merienda has been traded for years without it getting grilled. 

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And guess what, BongBong’s, the company that makes the product, even addressed the situation.

“We acknowledge that the staff whose task was to monitor business-related documents such as our application for FDA-CPR committed some lapses in monitoring our application, which eventually led to its non-registration,” the statement read. “In the letter of denied received by BONGBONG’S from the FDA, it was revealed that the reason for the denial were TECHNICALITIES and NOT SAFETY of the product.”

“BONGBONG’S PIAYA AND BARQUILLOS also underscores that the application for FDA-PCR for BongBong’s Original/Plain Piaya was made simultaneous with that of BONGBONG’S UBE PIAYA, and that the UBE PIAYA was APPROVED, and has received its FDA-PCR,” it continued. It then attached a photo of the aforementioned approval.

https://www.facebook.com/bastapasalubong/posts/4353843691341028

So the case might be closed, but FDA still isn’t in the clear, since many other beloved but otherwise unregistered products have also caught its attention. In the past week, the agency also flagged other frequently-used brands that are surprisingly lacking the proper papers.

One of them, The Ordinary, which makes cosmetic products such as niacinamide, peeling solutions, and hyaluronic acid that are wildly popular on online marketplaces, was also a hot topic over the weekend. Several social media users seconded the product’s safety based on their personal use. Meanwhile, others reiterated that only the local food and drug administration singled it out since agencies abroad already approve of its use.

https://www.facebook.com/FDAPhilippines/photos/a.449938625062197/4268015343254487/

Another brand, Kirkland, can’t say the same for their popular supplements though. In another issuance, the FDA warned the public against the consumption of Kirkland’s Signature Vitamin C, which apparently hasn’t passed the US FDA’s evaluation standards either. Yikes.

https://www.facebook.com/FDAPhilippines/photos/a.449938625062197/4261781630544525/

Other popular names that you might have heard of that the FDA issued a warning against are Arnott’s Jumbo Classic Chocolate TimTam and McCormick’s Chili Con Carne Seasoning Mix

https://www.facebook.com/FDAPhilippines/photos/a.449938625062197/4244877802234908/
https://www.facebook.com/FDAPhilippines/photos/a.449938625062197/4262046363851385/

We’re certain that, at some point in your life, you have had either brand in your pantries — heck, you probably do even now — so these were particularly surprising. Hopefully, just like with our fond piaya, these were just a couple of cases of “technicalities ” as well. 

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