Melamine Edit

Companies Edit

Trade and industry impact Edit

Response Edit

Widening contamination Edit

The search widened when some manufacturers tested positive despite reportedly not using Chinese milk. The Sri Lankan manufacturer of Munchee Lemon Puff biscuits, having tested positive in Switzerland, categorically stated that its powdered milk or milk products were sourced only from Australia, the Netherlands and Canada;[212] similarly, Pokka products without milk or its derivatives from China were found by Vietnamese authorities to be contaminated.[213] Chicken and eggs Edit Japanese and South Korean authorities' tests on imported powdered eggs from China found melamine contamination. Japan found melamine in frozen fried chicken imported from China.[214] The South Korean supplies were traced to two companies in Dalian.[215] On 26 October, Hong Kong authorities discovered 4.7ppm melamine in eggs from Dalian.[32] Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health, York Chow, suspected the melamine came from feed given to the chickens that laid the eggs.[32][216] On 29 October, Hong Kong authorities discovered a third batch of eggs containing excessive melamine.[217] The Taiwanese Department of Health said that six batches of protein powder from Jilin and Dalian were found to contain 1.90 to 5.03ppm of melamine.[218] Agriculture officials speculated that adulterated feed given to hens could explain melamine in eggs. The Web sites of Xinhua and People's Daily both carried a story from the Nanfang Daily that mixing melamine into animal feed was an "open secret" in the industry: melamine scrap was mixed into an inexpensive "protein powder" resold to feed suppliers.[219] People in the trade interviewed by BusinessWeek also confirmed it was common practice, and had been going on for "years", with most believing it to be non-toxic to animals. Melamine dealers said after Sanlu, the government started clamping down on melamine sales to food processing companies or to manufacturers of animal feed.[220] Baking powder Edit Malaysian authorities determined that ammonium bicarbonate, not milk, imported from China was the source of contamination at Khong Guan and Khian Guan biscuit factory.[221] Malaysian authorities said it was probable cross contamination of batches from Chinese companies Broadtech Chemical Int. Co Ltd, Dalian Chemical Industries and Tianjin Red Triangle International Trading Co, and did not suspect adulteration.[222] On 19 October, Taiwanese authorities detected melamine in 469 tons of baking ammonia imported from China. Samples tested showed up to 2,470ppm of melamine.[223]

Impact and response Edit

International agencies Edit Jorgen Schlundt, head of food safety at the WHO criticised China's food-safety system for being "disjointed", saying that "poor communications between ministries and agencies may have prolonged the outbreak of melamine poisoning."[224] Chinese public and the trade Edit Public concerns have resulted in demand and egg prices falling throughout the country.[224] Prices at a large Beijing wholesale market dropped 10%,[225] and prices fell by 10% the day after news of the contamination broke in Hong Kong.[226] Wholesalers have refused stock products without melamine inspection certificates. The Beijing Youth Daily reported that farmers have been forced to slaughter tens of thousands of chickens.[224] In 2008, Zhao Lianhai (赵连海), a Chinese man whose son was sickened by tainted milk earlier that year, started a website called "Home for the Kidney Stone Babies" (结石宝宝之家, jieshibaobao.com), which helped families with children affected by tainted milk share their experiences, in part by maintaining a database of medical records.[227] The website upset Chinese authorities, who detained Zhao in November 2009[228] and arrested him in December 2009.[227] PRC government Edit The Chinese government said that producers violating the law "could have their licenses revoked and be handed over to law enforcement organs". A senior Agriculture Ministry official said that of a quarter of a million feed-makers and animal farms inspected for melamine contamination, inspectors found more than 500 engaged in "illegal or questionable practices". Some 3,700 tonnes of feed with excessive melamine were seized.[229] Hong Kong regulators have requested certification of exported eggs, but the central government has not yet mounted a centralised response; although mainland authorities already require eggs to be certified as free of avian influenza and Sudan red dye prior to export following previous food-safety scares, the AQSIQ has declined nationwide testing. Local government, for example Guangdong authorities, have increased random inspections at poultry farms. They declared to "harshly crack down on the unlawful behaviour of illegally manufacturing, selling and using melamine".[154]

Contamination and response in 2009–2010 Edit

On 2 December 2009, China detained three employees of Shaanxi Jinqiao Dairy Company in northwest China suspected of selling 5.25 tons of melamine-laced powdered milk to Nanning Yueqian Food Additive Company, in Guangxi.[230] On 30 December 2009, Xinhua reported continuing problems: powder and flavouring products sold by another company involved in the original scandal–the Shanghai Panda Dairy Company–were found to contain illegal levels of melamine; the dairy was closed and three of its executives arrested.[231] On 25 January 2010, it was reported that three food companies from Hebei, Liaoning and Shandong provinces had produced melamine tainted products in March and April 2009 and that the three companies were banned from selling products in Guizhou.[232] On 10 February 2010 China's state council announced a food safety commission, consisting of three vice premiers and a dozen minister-level officials, to address the nation's food regulatory problems. The group aims to improve government coordination and enforcement and to solve systemic food safety problems. As part of its ongoing effort to find and destroy any melamine-tainted milk remaining on the market, the Chinese government announced that it was recalling 170 tons of powdered milk laced with the industrial chemical which was supposed to have been destroyed or buried in 2008 but has recently found to have been repackaged and placed back into the marketplace.[233] In July 2010, Xinhua reported that authorities had seized 64 tonnes of dairy product contaminated with melamine from Dongyuan Dairy Factory, in Minhe County, in Qinghai, after authorities in Gansu discovered the contaminated powdered milk. Approximately 38 tonnes of raw materials had been purchased from Hebei, raising the possibility that traders had bought tainted milk that was supposed to have been destroyed after the 2008 scandal. Police have detained the owner and production director of the factory. Powdered milk produced in the plant was mainly sold in Zhejiang and Jiangsu, with only a small amount sold in Qinghai. Also, in Jilin, authorities were testing samples of suspect powdered milk produced in Heilongjiang.[234][235] At the end of June 2010, Beijing lowered the minimum protein level for raw milk, from 2.955 to 2.8%, to discourage dairy farmers from attempting to falsify the passing of protein tests. Wu Heping, secretary general of the Heilongjiang Dairy Industry Association noted that between 75% and 90% of raw milk in some provinces had failed to reach the old protein level standard (in place since 1986) in 2007 and 2008. He said that the new standard reflected "the reality of the domestic dairy farm industry". However, insiders believe this will not stop adulteration because milk price still depends on protein content.[236]

See also Edit

Notes Edit

Verbatim quote[7] ^ "The tainted baby formula scandal was exposed on 16 July after 16 babies who were fed on milk made from powder produced by Hebei Province-based Sanlu Group in northwest China's Gansu Province were found to have developed kidney stones". Xinhua, 23 September 2008 For verification purposes, the following are relevant citations in Chinese from the Caijing article dated 29 September 2008[239] ^ "按照目前的三聚氰胺价格，在饲料甚至原料奶中添加这种物质，从经济上而言并不合算。如果奶粉或者液态奶中出现的三聚氰胺是由于添加三聚氰胺废料引起，那么值得担心的不仅仅是这种物质" For verification purposes, the following are relevant citations in Chinese from the Nanfang Daily article dated 9 October 2008[240] ^ "中國奶業協會常務理事王丁棉向記者透露,事件對伊利、蒙牛、光明這三大品牌一線企業的打擊與影響,是較嚴重的。 " 他们的近期产品销售业绩已一落千丈,跌至同期数据的30%–40%。就全国乳品行业而言,它所受到的负面影响也是很大的,此场危机的最低谷波峰期可能要维持至2至3个月之久,至明年中期前仍会处于一个恢复期中。过了恢复期,市场应该开始有明显的反弹,整个事件的阴影淡化直到出现全面的复苏,也许还需要1至 2年的时间。但复苏的速度完全取决于消费者消费信心的恢复与树立。” 王丁棉感慨,这次事件对中国奶业造成的经济损失粗略估计应该超过200亿以上,可谓损失惨重。" ^ "伊利、蒙牛都在产品包装箱的显著位置赫然加印上"安全合格"、"未检出三聚氰胺"等字样以消除消费者的疑虑"