08/02/10:Where are they from?

Letter from Sarah Sum-Campbell

THE tainted milk scandal has recently resurfaced in China.

I hope the relevant authorities in Singapore can assure us that the milk products we import from China and currently sitting on supermarket shelves here are safe for consumption.

Consumers of old may have been just happy to trust the stringent checks that ensure that everything was good and affordable.

However, a new generation of consumers are increasingly looking for food that is not only safe and affordable, but also take into account factors like fair trade, as well as aspects such as where the produce is sourced from, environmental factors and so on.

It is, therefore, no longer sufficient to state on the product label and the manufacturer’s website that the food is manufactured in Singapore, as in the case of the infant formula that I am feeding to my child.

I, for one, would like to know where the milk has been sourced from since, obviously, there are no cows pasturing in green meadows here.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Association, as well as the other relevant authorities should insist that the packaging contains information such as where the produce has been sourced and which country has processed it.