Jane Macartney and Sophie Yu in Beijing
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Chinese hospitals are fighting to save the lives of some of the 1,253 babies who have fallen sick after they were fed milk powder contaminated with an industrial chemical used to make plastic cups and saucers.
Two babies have already died from drinking the formula laced with melamine in a ploy by farmers to boost the apparent protein content of the milk that they sold to one of the best-known milk powder manufacturers in the country. Police have arrested nineteen people, including two brothers who ran a milk collection station.
The brothers are alleged to have added melamine to milk that they sold on from farmers. State media said that their milk had been rejected several times previously by the manufacturer Sanlu Group.
The scandal came to light only because of the intervention of Helen Clark, the New Zealand Prime Minister, who was informed by the New Zealand joint venture partner of the Chinese company of its failure to persuade it to recall the product. Ms Clark said that the food giant Fonterra had been trying for weeks to make Sanlu Group recall the product but “the local authorities in China would not do it”. Fonterra has a 43 per cent stake in Sanlu, but had to follow Chinese rules in handling the incident.
Sanlu halted production last week after investigators found that the melamine in its milk powder caused kidney stones and other complications in infants. It recalled all its products made before August 6.
The children are victims of two of China’s greatest evils: greed and secrecy. Greed has contributed to poor safety: only a few years ago 13 babies died after they were fed a sub-stand-ard fake formula marketed under the Sanlu brand. The determination to stage a perfect Olympic Games may also have delayed revelation of the adulterated milk powder. Twenty-one topics were banned from Chinese media during the Olympics – eighth on the list was food safety scandals.
Li Changjiang, the Minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said: “It’s shocking. It’s a crime against the people.”
The eleven-month-old son of a lawyer, who identified himself only as Mr Sun, is in hospital after being fed the milk powder since he was two days old. The child’s nanny had told Mr Sun that he had difficulty urinating. Mr Sun told The Times: “We told her to give him more water. Who would ever think of the milk powder?
“We both regret not paying more attention to our son or we might have identified the problem earlier.”
By yesterday morning illnesses linked to the powder had been diagnosed in 1,253 children, with 340 still in hospital and 53 in serious condition.
Toxic history
— Half of all dangerous goods seized in Europe in 2007 came from China
— Last year China found two companies guilty of intentionally exporting contaminated pet food
— US authorities last year gave warning that monkfish imported from China may be puffer fish, containing a potentially deadly toxin
— In 2005 Sudan 1, a carcinogenic food colouring, was found in Chinese branches of KFC
— In January a survey found almost two thirds of Chinese people were worried about food safety
Sources: European Commission, Times archives
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I think some Chinese manufactures are selfish in a way that they only think for themselves about profit and earnings. But what about the people? We live in the same country, living under one roof. Why can't these people think for the others?
Val, Hong Kong, China
I am so sorry for those had happened this year,especially the milk powder events. But who should be criticised . I think we chinese should think more. Though it is not a day's job, but I think it's the time for the government to take some real actions to save our citizens
Jane, huizhou, China
i would say that, if more food from china is recall or simply being banned from entering any country, i bet the country will face another cruel economic crisis within its country. The cruel acquaintance by the people and the government have been the main reason for all this to happen.
Cindy Lai , Miri, Malaysia
I really hate the milk powder producer!
As a chinese,I feel very sad about this
because many infants suffer from kidney stones......
I hope our government will punish the company!
Rain567, Henan, China
It is strange... I didn't think that Chinese food was that serious... But I expected that these Chinese food would make some trouble at last. And I don't trust China that much.
Jung Yun Choi, Sinchon, Korea
The lack of control of chinese government in china affects not only the mainland chinese products and services, but us overseas chinese as well. It is very annoying for people to keep pointing out poor chinese products and ask us about these. We are a proud people and we don't need this...
Alphonse Tan, Quezon City, Philippines
The milk scandal and the deaths of infant is a tragedy for all of China. The blame completely falls on some greedy and idiotic individuals who knowingly used the poison, we should save our anger for those responsible instead of lashing out at each other and hope the criminals are severely punished
Lee, NY,
What company in US markets this stuff? I don't want to buy any kind of food from the US company. Hannah, Denver, CO, USA
Hannah Attwood, Arvada, Co 80002, USA
John, Cheadle.
You sound like a China apologist. A one party state means no checks and balances. The New Zealand PM, Helen Clarke blew the whistle on this one. Otherwise it would have been covered up and ignored. The New Zealand intervention embarassed the Chinese Government into acting properly
Colin, Carmarthen, United Kingdom
This is a tragic case of greed over ethics, in the name of unregulated economic growth. Many countries go through such pains in their development (remember BSE, E-Coli?). For those China-bashers, using this as fuel to beat their chests, the irony is that is a -ve side-effect of a capitalist model.
John C, Cheadle, UK
Julia Chang, China- this particular disaster is caused by Chinese people putting profit before the health of tiny babies, by the Chinese govt saving face rather than warning poor and vulnerable parents. Strength and togetherness - only for the wealthy.
Angela, Epping, Australia
I dont buy any food products made in china as they lack quality control...this is one of the many cover ups chinese officals seem to do so well..because its freedom of speech is some what restrained you will always get these types of senario's occuring...i am sure this incident wont be the last..
Alex, Adelaide, Australia
To Julia Chang,
The baby milk scandal is not a western conspiracy to stop china "from shining out in the world", it is our chinese that are commiting suicide!
Many chinese are blind to our own problems, and trying to blame them on foreigners. If we keep doing things in this way, china has no hope.
Yun, wuhan,
As chinese, we should be punished, because many of us are still willing to trust a government which have been continually enslaving, persecuting, torturing, plundering, fooling,and poisoning the people.
cqibong, Nanning,
Julia Chang, Guangzhou.
I think that you fail to look at your CCP government with any critical depth. Are you one of the new wealthy CCP middle class? Here in UK we have many refugee Chinese who have fled China due to poverty. Your proclaimed wealth is only for a selected minority, not for all.
Colin, Carmarthen, United Kingdom
While the earthquake was a natural disaster, this is a man made one. If the Chinese are planning to sweep this under the carpet just like what they had done w/ the contaminated pet food, rice and toys early this year, then you can bet this won't the last scandal coming out of this 3rd world country
Paul, Singapore, Singapore
China suffers several disasters this year, but nothing can stop her from shining out in the world. I trust chinese goverment and chinese people. We are together and we are strong.
Julia Chang, Guangzhou, China
Chinese exports of powdered milk should be investigated urgently, they supply large quantities of goods to Zimbabwe for example and this problem could be much larger than currently known!
Roz Mitchell, Salisbury, UK
The Government is willing to spend Billions for the Olympics to look good in front of the world and their own people. Now they have another human disaster. The irony is that this disaster would create a lot of parapheligic atheletes with bad kidneys for future ParaOlympics.... Very sad indeed.
Chan Fung Kam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
My dog died last year from the melamine contaminated dogfood. I told people then to call congress (202)225-3121 and tell them that we need to regulate our food supply, and not to keep bowing down to big businesses and their lobbyists. If babies are sick the way my dog was, my heart breaks for them.
Desiree, Whidbey Island, USA