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The tainted milk powder scandal that has claimed the lives of four babies in China has spread to the dairy industry.
Investigators have found contamination in liquid milk from three of the country’s top dairy companies.
Sales of domestic milk products have slumped, with consumers turning to imports or to alternatives such as rice water, in the latest shock to the “Made in China” mark already reeling from a series of scams.
The World Health Organisation has demanded Beijing find out why it took months to report that companies had sold milk powder tainted with the industrial chemical melamine to parents to feed to their babies. The organisation's China representative Hans Troedsson said the government “must find out if this was deliberate or due to ignorance”.
Robert Madelin, director-general for health and consumer protection at the European Commission said the bloc expected a full accounting and punishment of any cover-ups. He said: “We are trying to establish the facts. We are discussing all aspects of this crisis bilaterally with our colleagues in China. Our priority is to ensure the integrity of the European supply chain.”
Reports of the problem only surfaced last week after New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said food giant Fonterra had been trying for weeks to persuade its Chinese partner, Sanlu Group, to make a public recall of the milk powder.
Chinese officials say the contamination, mostly likely caused by unscrupulous workers at collecting stations adding melamine to boost the protein content of the milk they sold to Sanlu and other companies, could have been going on for years.
Some 1,300 babies are still in hospital, including 158 with acute kidney failure, after being fed the powder that can cause kidney stones and other complications. The latest count said 6,244 children had fallen sick.
The government’s quality watchdog has now pointed the finger at two top producers, spreading the public dismay over almost all dairy products on supermarket shelves. Almost one-tenth of liquid milk batches from giant Mengniu Dairy and Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group had been found to contain melamine.
Starbucks pulled milk supplied by Mengniu from more than 300 outlets across mainland China.
Yili, a Beijing Olympics sponsor, is already facing a recall in Hong Kong after melamine was found in eight of its 30 products including ice-cream and yoghurt ice bars. Police have seized 222 kg (488 pounds) of melamine and arrested 18 people – six melamine dealers and 12 suspected of selling contaminated milk.
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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