WTF

brendansmith

China threatens to "out" tainted milk offenders

Fri 10 Oct 2008, 3:45 GMT
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BEIJING (Reuters) - China has stepped up scrutiny of milk production, tightening dairy controls and threatened to "out" offenders amid a widening health scandal, state media said on Friday.
At least four Chinese infants have died and thousands have been treated in hospital after drinking toxic milk and milk formula that has led to Chinese-made products being pulled off shelves around the world.
The formula was laced with the chemical melamine to cheat nutrition tests, the latest in a long line of Chinese food and product safety scandals involving items as diverse as fish, drugs, toys, toothpaste, tyres and petfood.
"The regulations tighten control of how milk-yielding animals are bred, how raw milk is purchased and the production and sales of dairy food," Xinhua news agency said.
"There will also be more severe punishment for people who violate safety standards and quality control departments that fail to fulfil duties ... Law-breaking producers will be blacklisted and outed publicly."
Several local officials have already been sacked and 27 people have been arrested. More than 20 milk companies have already been named as offenders.
"Any non-food chemicals or hazardous substances are prohibited from being added into raw milk in its production, purchase, storage, transport and sale," Xinhua said, citing the regulations issued on Thursday by the State Council.
But the Health Ministry on Wednesday released new dairy standards and safety limits for melamine -- one milligram of melamine per kilogram for infant formula and 2.5 mg per kg for milk, milk powder and food products containing at least 15 percent milk.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said earlier this month that no amount of melamine was safe in baby formula.
(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Alex Richardson)

© Reuters 2008. All Rights Reserved. | Learn more about Reuters

Biggins

All the more reason to buy home grown if its affordable!

Musha

Biggins wrote: »

All the more reason to buy home grown if its affordable!

+1

seagull

Biggins wrote: »

All the more reason to buy home grown if its affordable!

Unless you happen to live in China.

eth0_

I have avoided Chinese produced foods for a long time. Apparently the amount of importet Chinese food and other goods the US customs turn away every day due to being unsafe is unreal.

Musha

It is our company policy to only source products from European Manufactures
We understand that some parts are Chinese but the bulk (90+) is european.

Even through I could buy the same products for a fraction of the cost it is not worth it to have a installer on the road doing repairs full time especially as we have a 24hr repair or replace policy

I was at a trade show last week in Amsterdam and there was a noticable absents of customers at the chinese stands. There seems to be a backlash against the poor quality and production standards of their goods.