Posted on 09/18/2008 9:06:43 PM PDT by DeaconBenjamin
BEIJING: Hong Kong has ordered the recall of a Chinese company's products after milk, ice cream and yogurt were found to be contaminated with melamine, the compound responsible for killing four children in a health scandal.
Tainted milk powder produced in China has made thousands ill, and triggered sackings and detentions and rocked public trust already battered by a litany of food safety scares involving tainted eggs, pork and seafood in recent years. Now the scandal has spread to milk, ice-cream and yogurt ice-bars. Hong Kong ordered the recall of a Chinese company's products on Thursday after tests found that eight of 30 of its products, including milk drinks, were tainted with melamine.
The company, Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co Ltd was a Beijing Olympic Games sponsor and is one of 22 Chinese firms implicated in the scandal. A regional Chinese health authority said on Thursday a fourth child had died at a hospital in remote northwestern Xinjiang. The report on the authority's website gave no further details.
The health scare erupted after Sanlu Group last week revealed it had produced and sold melamine-laced milk, and a subsequent probe found a fifth of 109 Chinese dairy producers were selling products adulterated with the substance.
"It's just a terrible situation, it's really scary," said a 34-year-old father surnamed Zhou, cradling one of his eight-month twins outside a Beijing children's hospital. "You expect small brands to have quality issues, but these are big brands, name brands. The authorities need to improve their oversight," said Zhou, queuing to have his children examined.
Dozens of lawyers and rights campaigners have mobilised to support families stricken by the toxic powder. One said they had already received nearly a thousand phone inquiries, underscoring the political volatility of China's latest food safety scandal.
A commentary on the Xinhua agency blamed the group for covering up substandard milk. "The hard lesson we should learn from this tragedy: never overestimate the credibility of any company," the report warned.
I heard yesterday about the babies and children suffering from the contamination. It’s very, very sad.
I agree, even stuff for pet food shouldn’t be allowed in the US.
China must process food products on the floor of dirty warehouses, or something.
Sheesh.
Where does the melamine come from ... how would it be added to dairy products? Is it a natural contaminate from cows feeding on melamine laced feed and why/from where is this derived??
I wonder how many of our Olympic athletes and spectators have come down with kidney stones.
I just got through reading up on it. Frightening! ... a nation which has no value on human life is our largest trading partner! China has a surplus of melamine and it is a compound useful for defrauding measurement of food products for protein levels, etc. Melamine also ‘stretches’ animal feed products. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine
Like, *PING*, dude.
Melamine. Same stuff that caused the big dog-food scare a couple years ago. What, do they think it’s MSG or something?
Is there ANYTHING that the Chinese have not screwed up?!
Starbucks and KFC are drawn into China’s tainted milk scandal
STARBUCKS and KFC have admitted using products from firms affected by China’s tainted milk crisis.
China says some liquid milk also tainted
September 19, 2008 - 2:23PM
http://news.theage.com.au/world/china-says-some-liquid-milk-also-tainted-20080919-4jks.html
Officials had said liquid milk was safe, but on Friday the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said milk sold in liquid form by three leading Chinese dairies has also been found to be contaminated with melamine.
A report posted on the agency’s website said test results showed nearly 10 per cent of samples taken from Mengniu Dairy Group Co and Yili Industrial Group Co - China’s two largest dairy companies - contained up to 8.4 milligrams of melamine per kilogram.
China’s tainted formula shows risks of dairy boom
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/19/asia/AS-China-Dairy-Dangers.php
Investigators say raw milk suppliers, in hopes of clearing more profit, watered down their milk to increase volume and then added the industrial chemical melamine, which is high in nitrogen and artificially appears to boost protein content.
HEADS UP - FLASH BACK
Nestle focuses on Chinese milk powder potential
Jul 5, 2007 ... Nestle today opened a state-of-the-art dairy plant in China as it continues to tap growing demand for milk powder products in the country.
http://www.dairyreporter.com/Industry-markets/Nestle-focuses-on-Chinese-milk-powder-potential
Melamine was added to milk powder in China for the same reason it was added to Chinese wheat gluten used in pet food last year -- to boost the nitrogen content to appear to contain more protein.
Instead of measuring protein for quality control, simpler tests to assess nitrogen content were performed. Melamine is relatively high in nitrogen. Melamine is only slightly soluble, so it's easier to add in powder form.
I would guess that the melamine was added to hide the fact that the ersatz milk powder and baby formula (and wheat gluten) were diluted with rice, flour, gypsum, or other powders that reduced the the protein content.
I'm surprised the Chinese haven't tried to add 15-15-15 fertilizer to food for the nitrogen and minerals....
Commercial quantities of SanLu milk powder was sold in Taiwan and some has already been used in breads, pastries, and milk drinks (like canned, sweetened coffee or tea drinks). These foods have already been consumed.
Fortunately, these were consumed by people who also ate and drank other foods and drinks, so nobody in Taiwan has fallen ill like the Chinese infants whose diets consisted exclusively of melamine-adulterated infant formula.
was sold in Taiwan = were sold in Taiwan
Ping.
Your largest trading partner (by FAR) is Canada. You know, that place that buys 30% of your goods/production and sells you over 20% of your oil? It’s just a hair North of where you are, unless than you’re in Alaska.
Then it’s that great big place to your east, with 3 times the length of border than Mexico, but nary an illegal from there to date...
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