This notice includes milk or food products with milk-derived ingredients could contain the chemical melamine.
Milk-derived ingredients include whole milk powder, non-fat milk powder, whey powder, lactose powder and casein.
The Department of Public Health initiated an environmental health inspection which has been underway since last week.
The department has been on the lookout on milk-based foods and infant formula from China.
More than 70 stores have been inspected for the presence of products that might contain melamine.
Additionally, a review of recent import records is underway.
To-date, no infant formula from China has been found for sale in the CNMI.
Public Health is requesting all CNMI vendors to remove any items containing milk products that originated in China.
There have been no cases of infant kidney stones in the CNMI. No additional hospitalizations or clinic visits have been noted.
At present, Public Health is confident that the children in the CNMI have not been affected by this problem.
The CNMI has a public law that forbids the importation of food products that are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
All infant formulas must be approved by the FDA before they are allowed for sale in the CNMI.
This includes all formula available to WIC recipients as well.
No formulas produced in China have been found in the CNMI.
As a precaution, the Bureau of Environmental Health is working with retailers to make sure that no unapproved products from China have made their way to stores in the CNMI.
Public Health is warning people not to consume imported milk-based sweets known as White Rabbit Creamy candies.
This product is sold in retail packs through Asian retailers, supermarkets and dairies.
Public Health is advising anyone who has the product not to consume it and to return it to the place of purchase or dispose of it.
This product contains sufficiently high levels of melamine which may, in some individuals, cause health problems such as kidney stones.
Currently, BEH is inspecting retail establishments throughout the CNMI to remove any product from the shelves.
Recent news reports have also linked King Car products from Taiwan to the melamine contamination scandal.
BEH inspectors are inspecting retail establishments for the presence of King Car items containing powdered non-dairy creamer.
Public Hearing is working to insure the safety of all King Car products, including Mr. Brown coffee, which might contain milk products contaminated with melamine.
King Car said in a statement said its canned Mr. Brown coffee drinks have consistently used milk powders from Australia or New Zealand that are free of melamine contamination.
Call BEH at 664-4870 for more information.
