Singapore detects melamine in five more products

Wednesday September 24, 2008

SINGAPORE: Singapores food authorities have detected melamine in five more products imported from China.

Two are flavoured milk and three are confectioneries containing milk powder as an ingredient, according to AgriFood & Veterinary Authority (AVA) of Singapore.

They are Dutch Lady’s Banana Flavoured Milk and Honeydew Flavoured Milk, Silang House of Steamed Potato Potato Cracker, and Puffed Rice Rolls with Butter Corn Flavour and Cheese Flavour.

This brings to eight, the total number of affected products found in Singapore.

The other products which were earlier found to have been contaminated with melamine are Yi Li Choice Dairy Fruit Bar Yogurt Flavoured Ice Confection, Dutch Lady Strawberry Flavoured Milk and White Rabbit Creamy Candy.

In its latest advisory here, AVA said there was no need for the public to be unduly concerned as it had suspended the import and sale of all milk and milk products from China since last Friday.

It also said the levels of melamine detected in the products here were low and hence, unlikely to result in adverse health effects.

The public need to consume large quantities of the contaminated products over a prolonged period of time to have any potential illeffects on health, AVA said. - Bernama

Students in most states to go back to school on Jan 5

Thursday September 25, 2008

PETALING JAYA: Students will go back to school on Jan 5 in all states next year except for those in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, where classes start a day earlier (see chart).

There will be an extra school day next year making it 208 days, compared with the previous year, which had 207 school days.

Students will have 77 days of holiday next year, seven days fewer than this year.

An education ministry official explained that there was no mistake to the start of the final term on Aug 31 (in the second term).

She said the ministry counted it as the start of the school week although it happened to fall on National Day.

“Students will actually start the term on Sept 1, but we look at the start of the week which happens to fall on Aug 31,” she said when contacted.

Schools can apply for cuti peristiwa (occasional holiday), which need not be replaced, or for cuti ganti (replacement holiday) for an extended break during festive seasons.