FDA Tells Public Not To Eat BongBong’s Piaya, Brand Says Product Is Safe For Consumption

BongBong’s Piaya responds to FDA

The Bacolod-founded BongBong’s Piaya and Barquillos is a well-loved delicacy brand in the Philippines. Their products are some of the most memorable pasalubong (homecoming gifts) people have brought friends and family for over 3 decades.

Due to this, it shocked many when the Food and Drug Administration released an advisory warning on the brand’s products on 15 July. In response, the brand released a statement on their Facebook page defending their products, saying these are safe to eat.

The FDA advisory on BongBong’s food items

FDA Philippines’ Facebook post which mentions BongBong’s Special Piaya and Polvoron Small products
Image credit: Food and Drug Administration Philippines

In particular, the agency advised against the purchase and consumption of the Special Piaya, Polvoron Small, and Refine Cubes. According to the agency’s advisory, they cannot assure these products’ quality and safety as these have not gone through their evaluation.

Statement from BongBong’s Piaya and Barquillos

Statement from the well-loved piaya brand
Image credit: BongBong’s Piaya and Barquillos

To regain their customers’ trust, BongBong’s Piaya and Barquillos released a statement in defense of the safety of their products. In it, they said that the original-flavored Special Piaya is safe for consumption and their application for registration was only rejected due to their staff’s lapses in the application.

To emphasize that safety is not the issue, the brand also stated that the registration of the ube (purple yam) variant of the piaya was passed at the same time as the Special Piaya and was approved.

Other unregistered products

The international skincare brand The Ordinary was also a subject of one FDA advisory
Image credit: Food and Drug Administration Philippines

Besides BongBong’s Special Piaya, the FDA also recently released an advisory warning involving products from the skincare brand The Ordinary. According to the agency, they cannot assure these products’ quality and safety.

As it is an international brand that is well-known for its effective products, users say the product is not unsafe but may just have not been registered with FDA Philippines.

FDA’s advisory involving BongBong’s Piaya

FDA’s advisory involving the well-loved BongBong’s Special Piaya has certainly caused a stir on social media, but thanks to the brand’s quick response, their loyal customers can continue to enjoy the Filipino delicacies they offer.

The brand also assured their customers that the lapses in monitoring their FDA applications and other business documents will not happen again and that they will continue to provide top-quality pasalubong products.

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• Quezon City’s Sourdough Cafe puts a twist on the classic pandesal
• Marikina resto sells Singapore-inspired ice cream sandwiches

Cover image adapted from: @rina.dungao and @oneply