THE National Council on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) has urged its Muslim consumers to avoid consuming CDO Foodsphere’s halal (permissible) certified products after it was revealed that some of these were contaminated with pork.

A laboratory blind test conducted by the Calabarzon branch of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) showed that CDO’s Chicken Franks, Holiday Chicken Hotdog, Ulam Burger, Crispy Chicken Burger and Chicken Flakes have pork contamination.

According to a memorandum issued on Friday by NCMF spokesman Yusoph Mando, CDO Foodsphere had also assured the public in taking steps to address the issue, and to ensure it is compliant with the traditional Muslim Sharia law.

“With this welcome development, the Commission thanks the management of CDO Foodsphere for its professionalism, as well as its commitment to work with the Commission and keep the discussion open in resolving the issue,” Mando wrote in the memo.

The NCMF also thanked the DoST for providing them accurate information on the contamination and also to ensure Muslim Filipinos are protected from consumption of haram (forbidden) products, including pork.

Calabarzon comprises the five provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.