Contaminated baby milk powder leads to three deaths
September 18th 2008 01:51
After the deaths of three infants and thousands more ill due to contaminated powdered milk, China will launch comprehensive tests of milk products and reform the industry in order to contain this spreading scandal.
Infants and children fell ill including three that died after drinking powdered milk with traces of the compound melamine - a trimer of cyanamide and pesticide. The spread of deaths and illnesses were exacerbated due to authorities concealing the health threat for at least a month.
Melamine, which can make the protein level in dairy products appear higher than it actually is, was linked to 1,253 cases of infant kidney stones. Fears of widespread contamination has been confirmed after products from a second dairy company was found to contain this compound.
Sanlu and Yili, two Chinese milk powder producers were found to have melamine in their powdered milk with Sanlu, a 43 percent New Zealand owned company and China's biggest baby milk powder maker, apologising to consumers and promising to recall all milk powder produced before August 6.
The scandal has inevitably triggered a recall of exports, sacking of officials and detention of a sacked company executive.
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