China investigates as melamine-tainted milk reappears

Feb 02 2010 06:19

China has launched nationwide checks for toxic milk products, an official newspaper said on Tuesday, after at least six children were killed and 300 000 fell ill in a melamine-tainted milk scandal in 2008.

Leftovers of milk powder laced with melamine, an industrial compound that can give a fake positive on protein tests, have been reused as raw materials for dairy products despite an earlier crackdown, the People's Daily said, citing a conference held by the State Food and Drug Administration.

Batches of dairy products made by three Chinese companies were forced off market shelves in the south-western province of Guizhou last month after testing positive for melamine.

Tainted milk products were found in several provinces in 2009, from the north-eastern province of Liaoning to the economic hub Shanghai, the newspaper said.

"In spite of the current campaign for food safety, some enterprise and individuals are still blinded by greed, ignoring the health and safety of the public," it said.

There have been no reported deaths or illnesses from the latest batches of tainted milk which can can cause kidney stones in children.

China executed two people in November for their role in the melamine scandal that further sullied the made-in-China brand after a string of health and product-safety scares. - Reuters

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