FDA issues license to flour miller

MANILA, Philippines - The Food and Drug Administration has issued a license to a flour mill that was earlier accused of manufacturing flour illegally.

The FDA issued License to Operate No. RDII-MM-F-4265 to Marco Polo Flour Mills Inc. on Dec. 28, 2010 after the administration determined that the mill met the FDA’s rules and regulations on technical requirements.

The license was issued after the police raided Marco Polo’s factory in September on the supposed complaint of a consumer who allegedly claimed that the company was operating without a license.

But it was later learned that the Marco Polo had already complied with the preliminary technical requirements and had submitted an application to the FDA.

Under the usual process, the FDA will not even allow an entity to apply for a license if it does not meet the agency’s technical requirements.

The FDA is the government agency authorized to license establishments and they do so by determining the circumstances of the company applying for the license.

The administration usually conducts site inspections to evaluate the firm’s capabilities to comply with recognized standards.

The police raided the Marco Polo factory after telling the court that the flour made by the company had potassium bromate, a chemical that used to be an ingredient for making bread until it was banned by many countries.

Police agents allegedly conducted a test purchase from Marco Polo, but the FDA tested the flour that was purportedly bought from the factory. FDA scientists, however, failed to find traces of potassium bromate and found the flour to be fit for regular use.

In a related development, the Manila regional trial court that issued the search warrant against Marco Polo also allowed the police to dismantle the immovable property, including heavy machinery, that can be found inside the factory although the original search warrant had expired last September.

By virtue of the search warrant issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Amor Reyes, the police raided Marco Polo’s factory in Valenzuela in September and seized the company’s property and moved them to a private warehouse in Bocaue, Bulacan owned by PRM Marketing.

The flour miller asked the court that it be allowed to inspect the properties stored at the warehouse and to post their own security guards to ensure the safety of Marco Polo’s products, but the plea was denied while vital court pleadings were stricken from the records of the case.