It is the responsibility of all Parliamentarians to reveal to the country the truth about imported milk powder during the proposed debate, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said.
Speaking at a press conference at the GMOA headquarters in Colombo yesterday, he said MPs should tell the country what is mentioned in the Expert Committee Report on imported milk powder which put imported milk powder in the category of high-risk food items.
The report has revealed that imported milk powder contains palm oil, which increases the cholesterol level in blood. As such, consumption of palm oil could lead to cancer and many other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Foreign private companies remove actual milk fat while producing milk powder and add other unhealthy substances in order to make profits, Dr. Aluthge said.
It is a pity that local health authorities have a close relationship with private companies which import milk powder to Sri Lanka. Over 98 percent of the milk powder produced by foreign countries is exported to other countries without being consumed in the country of origin. It is sad that some countries try to link the milk powder issue to diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka, he said.
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