Davao City (CNN Philippines) — The business permit of the manufacturer of Wendy’s Durian Candy in Ma-a, Davao City is set to be suspended pending the issuance of a clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The suspension order was issued by Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte last Sunday (July 12), invoking public health as the reason for the suspension of the business permit.
With the suspension, Duterte mandated concerned government agencies to ensure that the candy manufacturer immediately halted production.
Wendy’s Durian Candy is suspected to be the source of the massive food poisoning in Surigao del Sur last week that downed more than a thousand people, mostly students.
Related: Hospitals discharge all tainted durian candy patients
Janet Aquino, owner of Wendy’s Durian Candy, denied involvement in the mass poisoning, claiming that the candy sold in Surigao had already been repacked.
Duterte, however, said that the candy manufacturer must show proof that their candies were indeed repacked by the seven arrested suspects who sold the candies to the victims.
“If they claim that their products were repacked, then they must prove it. The families of the school children who consumed their candies deserve an explanation. Food poisoning was massive. You endanger public health,” said Duterte.
Related: DepEd to help victims of candy poisoning file cases
Business Bureau Chief Atty. Lawrence Bantiding said they will serve the notice of suspension today (July 13). He said the suspension order will only be lifted once Wendy’s Durian Candy acquires an FDA certification.
FDA personnel visited the candy factory over the weekend and took samples for testing.
One of the arrested suspects in Surigao, John Dequilla, usually ordered candies from Wendy’s. However, the owner maintained that the candies manufactured and sent to Dequilla on July 8 were of good quality.
Wendy’s started manufacturing durian candies and tarts in 2011.
