Consumer group urges FDA to order recall of vinegar brands

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should have ordered the recall of five vinegar brands found to have been made with artificial acetic acid instead of just announcing the brand names and saying the products must not be sold to the public, Laban Konsyumer Inc. said Wednesday.

While the group welcomes the FDA move, Laban Konsyumer president Vic Dimagiba said the agency could have done better by exercising its mandate to recall products that violate the Food Safety Act and Consumer Act.

“Bitin ‘yung advisory ng FDA, dapat nagkaroon ng product recall nung limang brand,” Dimagiba said in an interview on GMA News’ “Balitanghali.”

He urged the FDA to recall the products. “‘Pag sinabi mong hindi pwedeng ibenta, i-recall mo officially,” he said.

“Hindi pa nila ginawa ‘yung mandate nila under the law ... ‘Yun ang sa akin ay bitin,” he added.

The FDA on Tuesday announced the following brands were found to have synthetic acetic acid through testing of Permanganate Oxidation Number (PON):

• Surebuy Cane Vinegar (Best Before Date: 26 03 21)

• Tentay Pinoy Style Vinegar (Best Before Date: 03 18 21)

• Tentay Premium Vinegar (Batch/Lot No. TV SEP0718AC)

• Tentay Vinegar ‘Sukang Tunay Asim’ (Expiry Date 06 06 20)

• Chef’s Flavor Vinegar (Expiry Date 01APR21)

Health Undersecretary and FDA officer-in-charge Eric Domingo told GMA News Online the agency has informed the manufacturers of the vinegar brands “so that they can recall their products.”

Any artificial matter such as synthetic acetic acid or any cloudifying agent deems the vinegar adulterated, and it must not be sold to the public, the FDA said.

Following FDA's pronouncement, Rustan's Supermarket ordered the recall of its house brand Surebuy Cane Vinegar.

Tentay Food Sauces, Inc., the makers of Tentay Vinegar, said it is coordinating with the FDA to clarify the issue.

The FDA clarified that the brands of vinegar found with synthetic acid were only deemed as substandard but does not pose a safety issue or health risk to consumers. —Ted Cordero/VDS, GMA News