Worker says company repackaged rotten food as new

MANILA – Authorities on Thursday discovered worm-filled food containers and expired noodles and sugar being repackaged as new during a raid in Laguna on Thursday.

Joint task force D-PUNCH (Destroy Products Unfit for the Consumption of Humans) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Philippine National Police seized repackaged expired food and unlicensed food products in a raid on an 800-square meter lot occupied by First Laguna Organics Marketing Corporation on Mayaman Street, United San Pedro Subdivision, San Pedro, Laguna.

WATCH: FDA-PNP Task Force "D-PUNCH" raids warehouse in San Pedro, Laguna for repacking expired health products, most of which have worms. pic.twitter.com/HQjEKEhNpu

— Maan Macapagal (@maan_macapagal) April 20, 2017

The raid yielded three truckloads of confiscated goods, including 250 boxes of expired noodles, more than 1,000 bottles of sandwich spread, 15 sacks of muscovado and coconut sugar, six drums of muscovado sugar, and several drums of palm oil, raisins and pickles.

All the food items are believed to be unsafe for consumption.

Authorities also seized machines and paraphernalia used for repackaging goods, including food grinders, food boxes and labels, and food mixers.

The task force was acting on a complaint from a worker tasked to repackage the food, said retired General Allen Bantolo, officer-in-charge of the FDA’s Regulatory Enforcement Unit.

The complainant told police that workers were made to repack expired goods, change dates on the expiration labels, and repack products that are unfit for human consumption.

According to Bantolo, First Laguna Organic, owned by one Rio DR Cañeda, used the brand “Zunnolla” for their repackaged food.

"Zunnolla, yun ang ginagamit nilang brand. Meron siyang mayonnaise, palm oil, pickles, muscovado [sugar], meron din siyang noodles na Zunnolla, Mayo Lite, magaling siya sa packaging,” he said.

The company’s Facebook page says it is run by a cooperative engaged in the manufacture, importation and export, repacking, and distribution of household products.

Authorities said the company delivers to large grocery stores in Laguna and Muntinlupa. But the FDA said First Laguna Organic is not licensed to distribute the Zunnolla brand, which task force members said had sleek packaging.

"Iyong sinasabing brand, hindi siya registered. Supposed to be, mayroon siyang tinatawag na certificate of product registration para iyong products na iyon eh safe para sa public, sa health,” Bantolo said.

According to Bantolo, expired or compromised food products were reprocessed to seem new. For example, wet muscovado sugar was dried and repackaged, said Bantolo.

The task force said that Cañeda denied that his company repackaged inferior food, and refused to admit ownership of the goods in Laguna.

The task force also confiscated four firearms and magazines of ammunition with expired licenses from Cañeda.

Cañeda faces charges of illegal possession of firearms and violation of Republic Act 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009.