In a joint statement Jude Hervey Day, Minister of Trade and Industry, Florence Duperval Guillaume, Minister of Public Health and Population and Fresner Dorcin, the Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development "notify the general public, producers and importers of wheat flour in particular, that a lot of imported flour contains, in addition to Potassium Bromate, of azodicarbonamide, with the same characteristics, but at a very high rate harmful to human health.

Therefore, as part of measures to protect the health of consumers and in accordance with the sanitary and phytosanitary measures of the WTO, these Ministries decided to remove all wheat flour stock from market judged not to conform to consumption and that any new importation of that product is quarantined for compliance verification purposes in accordance with generally accepted standards.

In this context interested parties are invited to take all necessary steps to ensure respect of this measure.

This Notice takes effect immediately."

It is regrettable for the benefit of buyers and consumer protection, that these 3 ministries have failed to specify: the name of the Dominican company from which comes this flour; by what border post that flour came into Haiti and in what quantities; to what places of distribution or marketing this flour was intended and finally what rate of Azodicarbonamide was measured compared to the authorized standards.

Recall that according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), this food additive may be safely used in food for the uses and in the prescribed standards 1) As aging ingredient and cereal flour bleaching at a rate not exceeding 2.05 grams per 100 pounds of flour (0.0045%; 45 ppm); 2) As a dough conditioner in bread baking for a rate not exceeding 0.0045% (45 ppm) of the total weight of flour used.

Note that use of the Azodicarbonamide is not permitted particularly in the European Union, Switzerland and Australia but is allowed among others in Canada and the United States.

HL/ HaitiLibre