Couple files raps over “contaminated” milk

CEBU, Philippines -  A couple filed a civil suit before the Regional Trial Court against a manufacturing company alleging that they found insects and other living organisms in the packs of powdered milk they bought for their son.

 Kirby and Dianne Tadlas asked the court to order Mead Johnson Philippines to execute a lifetime warranty agreement for their son that he is free from the effect of the contaminated milk in the future and that the company will shoulder all medical expenses in case the child will suffer from serious illness due to the alleged contaminated milk.

 The couple alleged that on April 8, they bought five carton packs of Enfalac A+ powdered milk from a downtown supermarket in Cebu.

 In the early morning of April 18, they had already consumed four packs of milk when they discovered moving insects in the bottle of milk which they gave to their child.

 When they opened the fifth pack of the milk, they allegedly found some living organisms inside.

They took photos and video of the contaminated packs of milk.

 The Tadlas couple filed a complaint against the company before the Department of Health, which required them to submit a sample of the alleged contaminated powdered milk.

 Based on the laboratory results of the National Food Authority, there were five whole dead adult insects, five whole dead pupa insects, 30 whole dead larva insects and 57 larval fragments found in the powdered milk sample.

 “The only concern of the spouses Tadlas is the health and welfare of their child, Dev Kenji. There were incidents in Cebu City wherein persons who partook of contaminated food suffered serious illness. Under the food safety act and consumer act, it is the primordial obligation of food manufacturers to insure the safety of the consuming public,” the complaint read.

 The couple said they suffered “mental anguish and sleepless nights thinking of the defendant’s wrongful and negligent acts in the manufacture of their milk products.”

 The couple also asked the court to order the company to pay them P200,000 as moral damages, P100,000 as exemplary damages, P50,00 as attorney fees and P2,000 for every appearance fee and the cost of suit.

 “To teach defendant to be extraordinary diligent in the manufacture of their milk products exemplary damages should be imposed,” the document read.  —  /ATO  (FREEMAN)