Ban on sale of metal cleaning compound urged after milk tea deaths

Manila: An environment watchdog warned that highly toxic merchandise is being openly sold to Filipino consumers after police confirmed that the recent cause of deaths blamed on milk tea were due to oxalic acid poisoning.

The EcoWaste Coalition said that oxalic powder, commonly used in cleaning and polishing metal objects and trinkets, is available to just about anyone even though it is highly lethal when ingested.

To use oxalic acid for bleaching and for removing rust and stains, water is added to the powder.

“Oxalic acid, as far as we know, is allowed for industrial applications and should not be sold to unauthorised users and much more sold on the streets by ambulant vendors,” Thony Dizon, EcoWaste Coalition, coordinator said.

“The white oxalic powdery substance looks similar to iodised salt or refined sugar that food preparers can use by mistake, especially if improperly stored,” he said.

On Monday, the Philippine National Police confirmed that the cause of death of two people last April 9 at an Ergo Cha Hokkaido Milk Tea stand in Sampaloc, Manila, was due to lethal amounts of oxalic acid in the beverages purchased by Suzane Dagohoy and drunk by shop owner William Abrigo.

Dagohoy, 28, and the 57-year-old Abrigo collapsed and died within minutes after drinking the milk tea while a third victim Arnold Aydala, 34, recovered.

“Based on medical records of the victims as reported by the Manila Police District Crime Laboratory Office, Ms. Dagohoy from her post-mortem examination could have died due to ‘shock probably secondary to ingestion of toxic substance,’” Manila Police Director Chief Superintendent Rolando Nana said.

Nana said that the milk powder, tea and syrup, which were recovered by police from the crime scene, were found positive for oxalic acid upon examination by a private laboratory.

On Tuesday, reports came out that one of the two suspects — the shop owners’ 27-year-old son Lloyd, a certified public accountant — had been charged with murder and frustrated murder in connection with the incident.

The second, suspect, the shop helper, was reported to be in hiding.

While the authorities are taking steps to root out the perpetrator and the motive, EcoWaste said the incident is a sad wake-up call for the government to take action and strictly regulate the use of oxalic acid and similar highly toxic household materials.

“The Manila City government should prohibit the sale of the deadly substance on the street,” Dizon said.

In 2011, two students from the Larion Bajo Elementary School in Tuguegarao City in Northern Philippines died while 44 others were hospitalised due to oxalic-related food poisoning.

Pupils Eloisa Ballad and Jessica May Bangayan died after eating noodles in the school canteen that was mistakenly “seasoned” with oxalic powder by the teacher who had prepared it.