A Bacolod City councilor said laboratory tests showed no health risk in connection with the “foreign object” found in a cup of donated arroz caldo distributed at the Bacolod City Government Center on Jan. 16.
Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. said laboratory results dated Monday, Jan. 19, showed the “foreign object” tested negative for total coliform and E. coli, with the material classified as “unknown.”
The statement followed an earlier advisory issued by City Administrator Mark Steven Mayo urging Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) employees and clients to seek medical consultation if they experienced stomach discomfort after consuming the donated food.
The advisory was issued after a BPLO job order employee reported finding a small foreign object in one cup of arroz caldo during distribution at the city government center.
City officials earlier said the object was described as a black, solid material with an unpleasant odor and was discovered about an hour after distribution began.
The City Health Office said the object was submitted for laboratory examination and advised transparency while the investigation was ongoing.
Gamboa said the arroz caldo was prepared and distributed under his supervision as part of a feeding program he has implemented for 25 years.
He said the program is intended as a nutritional intervention and has been carried out during public activities, fiestas, and events requiring long waiting periods.
Gamboa said the reported object was found in only one cup out of hundreds served and was not part of the ingredients or cooking process.
He added that the object had no foul smell based on the initial inspection by a city health officer.
Gamboa said the city government was correct in issuing a public advisory as a precautionary health measure.
City officials earlier said around 300 servings were distributed and no cases of illness were reported, including from the employee who discovered the object.
The City Health Office said about 200 employees sought precautionary consultations, with no complications observed.
City authorities said a memorandum has been issued regulating the acceptance and distribution of donated food at the city government center.*