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Panama has tested cookies and candy from China and found traces of melamine. Melamine is an industrial chemical capable of causing kidney stones and death. According to the associated press, October 18, 2008, over 54,000 children became sick in China from contamination of candy by this chemical. According to Panama’s Food Safety director Gilberto Real, “traces of the chemical were found in milk-based White Rabbit caramels [as well as] orange and strawberry sandwich cookies and milk bars.”

The Associated Press goes on to say that melamine is used to make plastics and fertilizers. Panama pulled 56 Chinese products from stores in September of 2008. Mr. Real said Friday that 28 products tested negative and 24 were still being examined.

Dozens of Panamanians, including many children, died in 2007 after taking a tainted, Chinese-made, cough medicine.

Meanwhile, according to the October 17, 2008 La Prensa, Panama, China has convened a meeting of its five top milk producers to try to find out who has purchased products from Sanlu, the company apparently at fault for adding melamine to or substituting melamine for dairy products.

The October 2, 2008 La Prensa notes that the same problem of melamine contamination exists in products in Austria and Germany. It is a tribute to Panama’s food safety efforts that products are being tested and removed from shelves. In case suspect products have not all be removed from shelves beware of the “White Rabbit” brand of candies and cookies. These have been shown to contain melamine.

Panama Health and Safety

Panama has a well developed governmental infrastructure including government ministries in charge of health and safety issues.

The Autoridad Panameña de Seguridad Alimentaria (AUPSA) is in charge of checking food safety in cases such as the White Rabbit candy tainted with melamine. Another example of AUPSA’s work was the confiscation of 58,000 pounds of fish in March of 2008. The fish were partially spoiled.

Melamine, Spoiled Fish, Governance and Panama Real Estate Investment

For those interested in investment in business or real estate in Panama it is reassuring to see government ministries functioning in an aggressive and proactive manner. Panama ranks well in Latin America in measures of good governance. The ability to trust in the rule of law and the enforcement of regulations tends to lead to a stable and prosperous environment for business and real estate investment.

Panama’s high level of foreign investment is no fluke. Investment, in real estate, or in Panama’s strong service sector, has tended to succeed. Panama has the highest per capita rate of foreign investment in Latin America. Panama is pouring investment into its roads, ports, airports and other infrastructure. It is of note in the professional follow through of Panama’s AUPSA in the melamine problem that Panama’s governmental infrastructure works too.

If you are interested in investment in real estate in Panama contact us at ABPanama. We have over 23 years experience managing real estate portfolios.