Countries Ban, Recall Chinese Dairy Products As a Result of Tainted Milk Scandal

eFluxMedia
By Alice Carver
October 1st 2008

Thailand health inspectors are testing nearly 100 imports from China from possible melamine contamination, and have found melamine levels of 0.38 milligrams per kilogram and 0.55 milligrams per kilogram in the powdered milk from Shuangwa Dairy Co., the FDA said in a statement. The levels are below Thailand’s legal limit of 1 milligram per kilogram.

On Wednesday, the Thai FDA temporarily banned the sale and import of 10 dairy products from China, candies, buns and biscuits counting among them.

The growing scandal over tainted milk products has prompted many countries including Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, and New Zealand, to ban, or recall Chinese dairy products.

Health officials recommend that consumers avoid Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea products and White Rabbit Creamy candies, products which are made in China.

British candy-maker Cadbury recalled 11 types of Chinese-made chocolate after the products have been found tainted with melamine, an industrial chemical product usually used to produce plastic materials, fertilizers and pesticides. The chemical is added to low-quality or watered-down milk to boost its protein readings and fetch a higher price. Melamine, which is high in nitrogen, can cause kidney stones and other organ problems.

At least three babies are dead and more than 50,000 infants in China have become sick with kidney stones or kidney failure associated with the consumption of infant formula contaminated with melamine. Chinese authorities pulled 4,247 tons of milk powder and 1,562 tons of liquid milk from the shelves in an attempt to put an end to the tainted-milk scandal which spread global fear about Chinese products made with milk or milk powder.