Food and Drug Administration Director-General Eric Domingo himself was surprised that the popular liver spread Reno is not registered in the FDA.
“Pati po ako nagulat nang dumating ang initial report n’yan noong isang buwan. Sabi ko nga, mas matanda pa ata sa akin ang brand na ‘to, sigurado ba kayo? Ini-double check, ini-triple check naman po, talagang wala siya sa record ng FDA,” said the official.
(Even I was surprised when the initial report on that came last month. I said, this brand is perhaps older than me, are you sure? We double-checked, triple-checked, it wasn’t in FDA’s record.)
The FDA warned on Wednesday, September 16, all healthcare professionals and the general public NOT TO PURCHASE AND CONSUME the following unregistered food products and food supplements:
1. RENO BRAND Liver Spread
2. MIRACLE WHITE Advance Whitening Capsules Food Supplement
3. TURCUMIN 100% Natural & Standardized Turmeric Curcumin
4. DESA Spanish Style Bangus in Corn Oil
5. SAMANTHA’S DIPS AND SAUCE Spanish Sardines Paste Sauce
Also read: FDA: COVID-19 vaccines need to undergo Phase IV trials
FDA chief surprised Reno liver spread is not registered
“Since these unregistered food products and food supplements have not gone through evaluation process of the FDA, the agency cannot assure its quality and safety,” FDA said in its advisory.
“All concerned establishments are warned not to distribute, advertise, or sell the said violative food products until CPR are issued, otherwise, regulatory actions and sanctions shall be strictly pursued. Always check if a product has been registered with the FDA before purchasing it by making use of the embedded Search feature of the FDA website accessible at www.fda.gov.ph. You may also look for the FDA Registration number on the product label, if available, or the name of the product,” it added.
All Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and Local Government Unit (LGUs) are requested to ensure that these products are not sold or made available in the market or areas of jurisdiction.
The Bureau of Customs is urged to restrain the entry of the unregistered imported products.
Meanwhile, FDA said it would give the company making Reno explain why their product was not registered to the agency.