What's Changed In China?

One year ago, the Peoples Republic of China was still coping with the aftermath of a milk adulteration scandal that was hidden from public view until after the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games had been successfully completed.

When the scope of the adulteration became clear to an appalled world, heads rolled. Two of the perpetrators eventually were executed, and nineteen others were sentenced to prison terms.

In the run-up to the 2010 Shanghai World Exposition, scheduled to begin on May 1st and to close on October 31st, a steady stream of news stories about food safety and water safety is issuing from the press office – just as was the case before the 2008 Olympics. We're hearing about new developments in China's dairy industry, and an innovative test developed at East China Normal University that can verify the safety of drinking water within 15 minutes. We were fed similar stories prior to the Olympics in 2008.

This time, though, some things are different. China has been working hard in the last year to clean up certain aspects of its food safety system. A number of new food safety standards have been developed and are being implemented. More significantly, the country has been enlisting the help of outsiders to effect its food safety upgrades.

The PRC hosted its third annual China International Food Safety & Quality Conference in October, presenting speakers from the World Health Organization, the United States, the European Commission, Hungary, Hong Kong, Canada and China. In December, a delegation of senior food safety officials from the PRC spent two weeks in New Zealand, participating in a series of study workshops with the New Zealand Food Safety Authority.

The most encouraging development, though, is China's reaction to the latest milk adulteration scheme. The Shanghai Daily recently reported the December arrest of the general manager and two other employees of Shaanxi Jinqiao Dairy Co, and the seizure of five tons of melamine-adulterated milk products.

According to the news report, approximately 5 tons of milk powder had first been seized in October 2008, after the milk was found to contain high levels of melamine. But the Dairy's general manager, Liu Ping, apparently asked for a retest. He managed to swap samples so that the retest produced a satisfactory result, and the milk powder was released. The powder was warehoused by Shaanxi Jinqiao Dairy until September 2009, when the company received an order for milk powder from Nanning Yueqian Food Additive Co.

Liu and the other two employees surreptitiously repackaged the adulterated milk powder and shipped it, together with an additional 5 tons of untested milk, to Nanning. Fortunately, the food additive company tested the milk products, detected melamine, and called in the authorities.

Eighteen months ago, this story probably would have been kept secret. Indeed, Nanning likely would have been pressured to withdraw its complaint – just as Sanlu Dairy was pressured to wink at melamine adulteration in its milk for several months leading up to the Beijing Olympics.

A psychologist friend of mine once observed that before he could help a patient, that individual had to acknowledge the existence of a problem, and had to want to work on a resolution.

Change doesn't happen in an instant. It will take years for China to install a fully functioning food safety system. But the country's leaders have taken the first steps in this complex journey. They have acknowledged the need, and have decided to work towards a solution.

Is there a lesson here for US legislators?

Who Manufactured Aflatoxin-Contaminated Optima Dog Food?

January 16, 2009

So far, no one has owned up to having produced the aflatoxin-contaminated Optima brand dog food that has been linked to at least 20 dog deaths in China.

Media reports have variously described the dog food as having been manufactured in Australia by Doane International Pet Products, or having been imported into China from the United States via a Taiwan company.

China's government agency denies having authorized the importation of Optima pet food, and the Australian government has corroborated China's claim. Australia states that Optima pet food never was exported from Australia to China. Furthermore, there is no Australian corporate registration record for Doane International Pet Products. This confirms our Wednesday report that Doane is not registered in Australia.

Was the Optima dog food manufactured in the United States? Mars denies having manufactured the offending dog food – or having authorized manufacture by a third party. We have had no response from Mars to our emailed request for comment.

Perhaps this "imported" dog food actually was "Made in China."

Optima Dog Food Accused of Poisoning Dogs in China

January 14, 2009

At least 20 dogs – including 3 in Shanghai – have apparently died from aflatoxin-induced liver failure in the Peoples Republic of China after being fed imported dog food, according to Dong Hui of the Shanghai Daily on-line. Additional dogs are ill.

The illnesses reportedly are linked to a batch of Optima Puppy Lamb and Rice Dry Dog Food that was manufactured sometime in August/September 2008. The Shanghai dealer has recalled the offending batch.

According to both the Shanghai Daily report and CNN Asia, the imported dog food was manufactured in Australia by Doane International Pet Products and distributed in the PRC by Natural Pet Corporation, a Taiwan company. But, neither we nor our Australian contacts were able to find a listing for Doane in the Australian Business Register. Nor, to our knowledge, is Optima available on the Australian market (although Mars offers "Optimum" brand dog food in Australia).

Optima brand pet food is manufactured by Doane International Pet Products LLC of Brentwood, TN (USA). Doane was acquired in 2006 by Mars, Inc. and operates under the Mars Petcare umbrella. When contacted by Associated Press, Mars issued the following statement:

"To the best of its current knowledge, the Optima-branded pet food which appears to have caused these reported incidents in the People's Republic of China was not manufactured by, or under the authority of, Mars or any of its affiliated companies."

The Natural Pet Corporation website lists Optima as one of its products, but does not indicate the country of manufacture. We have queried both Optima (Mars Petcare) and Natural Pet Corporation seeking clarification of the confusion.

Will Mars determine, on further investigation, that the offending batch of Optima was manufactured in the United States? Or is there another explanation, such as unauthorized use of the Optima name and packaging design by an unscrupulous overseas pet food manufacturer?

Dead dogs tell no tales. But someone should.

Chicken Jerky Dog Treats: The Latest Word From FDA

December 30, 2008

As we wrote earlier this month, there appears to be a connection between kidney failure in dogs and consumption of chicken jerky dog treats made in China. The problem has been reported in Australia, where one brand of treats already has been recalled by The Kramar Pet Company as a precaution. The Kramar treats had been manufactured in China.

The US investigation into this mysterious kidney ailment has been in progress for more than a year. FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine issued a warning to consumers in 2007, and repeated the advisory earlier this month – shortly after the Australian recall was announced.

FDA posted a Consumer Update on its website on December 24th, entitled Caution to Dog Owners About Chicken Jerky Products. This update summarized the information contained in the agency's earlier 2007 and 2008 warnings, but provided no new information. Our curiosity was piqued, and we e-mailed the Center for Veterinary Medicine to ask some direct questions on the status and progress of the FDA investigation.

Earlier today, we received the following statement from FDA spokeswoman, Laura Alvey:

"FDA is actively investigating the matter and conducting analysis for multiple different chemical and microbiological contaminants. We have tested numerous samples of chicken jerky products for possible contaminants including melamine. 

The complaints received have been on various chicken jerky products but to date we have not detected any contaminants and therefore have not issued a recall or implicated any products. We are continuing to test and will notify the public if we find evidence of any contaminants."

What should we conclude from this statement?

• The problem is not linked to a single manufacturer or importer of chicken jerky dog treats.
  
• The problem is chronic and long-standing – not of short duration.
  
• The contaminant still has not been identified, but is probably NOT melamine.
  
• FDA is taking this problem seriously, and has not put it on the back-burner.
  

As for any possible recalls, FDA's hands are tied – understandably so. Before requesting a recall, the agency must have evidence that links a specific product and/or contaminant to the problem. Until FDA is able to pinpoint the source of the problem, it can do no more than issue generalized warnings to consumers – at it has done twice this month.

Until this mystery is solved, consumers can take certain actions to protect their dogs:

• Pay attention to the country of origin when purchasing dog treats.
  
• Only offer treats in very small quantities, and not as a substitute for a meal.
  
• Watch closely for any unusual behavior or symptoms.
  
• Report any adverse reactions to pet foods or treats to FDA.

We'll continue to watch for, and report, any new developments 

The China Syndrome: International Recalls and Alerts

Updated December 22, 2008

As a convenience to readers, we have developed a list of international melamine-related recalls and alerts on milk products from China. 

The information is organized alphabetically by country or entity (e.g., European Union). We'll be adding to the list as we find additional items. Please check back.

Argentina

On October 2nd, Argentina banned the sale of 48 milk-containing products from China, including items such as White Rabbit candies and Lotte Koala biscuits. The government issued a warning to consumers to avoid the products, and instructed retailers to remove them from store shelves. 

Australia

Food Standards Australia advises that Australia does not import infant formula products from China. FSA also has confirmed that no dairy products have been imported from China since April 2007. The government is warning caregivers to not use any infant formula from China that may have been imported into Australia by travelers returning from a visit to that country.

Seven food items made in China have now been withdrawn from sale in Australia due to the presence of melamine traces. They include White Rabbit candies, Cadbury chocolate eclairs, Lotte Koala biscuits, Kirin milk tea, Orion Tiramisu Italian Cake, Dali Yuan brand First Milk (vanilla flavour), Boxer Lovers Body Pen Set (body paint), Munchy's Mini Crackers Cheese Cream, Danco Waffles, Four Seas Premium Cake (3 flavours), and Mengniu Monmilk (two flavours). In addition, a consumer-level recall notice has been issued by the Australian government for Kirin milk tea.

Brazil

The country has banned all Chinese food imports indefinitely. 

Brunei

The Brunei Darussalam Ministry of Health has issued a full recall of milk products from China. Stores have been instructed to removed the products from their shelves. Consumers who purchased the Chinese milk products have been asked to turn the items over to the store, to the importer, or to the ministry of health. Brunei also has initiated a ban on the importation of dairy products from China.

Burundi

Burundi has banned the sale of all milk products from China. The two Chinese companies that sell milk products to Burundi both have been implicated in the melamine contamination scandal.

Canada

Six melamine-related recalls have been announced: Nissin Cha Cha Dessert (a dairy-based product that contains Yili milk), Mr. Brown 3-in-1 instant coffee (a non-dairy product in which New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore government labs found melamine), White Rabbit candies, Lotte brand March Koala cookies, OK OK Kaiser brand pretzels

and Mengniu strawberry flavour sour milk beverage.

CFIA also has conducted a retail survey of 300 stores across Canada and has not found any infant formula imported from China. The agency continues to warn Canadians against purchasing Chinese-manufactured infant formula over the Internet. In addition, Canada has established an enhanced Border Lookout for products containing milk ingredients from China.

The Canadian government has extended its Border Lookout to include dairy ingredients and soybean meal from China intended for use as animal feed. Importers will be required to provide the CFIA, at the time of importation, with test results from an accredited Canadian laboratory to prove that the imported material does not contain detectable levels of melamine or cyanuric acid. The new policy specifies the lab methods that are to be used. Importers who do not meet this requirement will have their products detained at the border pending CFIA testing. 

Chile

The Chilean government issued a "do not consume" warning on milk products imported from China in late September and seized some products pending a more complete investigation. 

European Union

The EU imposed a ban on milk products from China in 2002. Nevertheless, the EU Commission has asked the EU Food Safety Authority to assess the risk to residents of EU member countries. The possibility exists that some milk products might have been used in the manufacture of biscuits or other food products, or that small amounts of milk products might have been imported privately from China (e.g., by returning travelers). EU member states have been asked to test all foods imported from China that contain more than 15% milk. 

The EU instituted a partial ban on soya-based food products from China after a French company reported finding melamine in a shipment of "organic" soymeal (see below). The importation from China of soy-based foods meant for infants and young children has been banned unconditionally. All other soya-containing products from China will require testing at the time of import. Melamine testing also has been instituted on shipments of ammonium bicarbonate intended for food and feed, and on food and feed that contains soy or soya-products from China. NEW Dec 22

 

The Czech Republic has ordered its public health officers to visit Asian restaurants throughout the country in order to ensure that they are not serving milk from China, or other products that may contain a dairy ingredient from China. 

France – a member of the EU – has taken its own precautions by carrying out retail market checks, especially in Asian ethnic markets. It has taken the additional precaution of requiring that any food product containing a dairy ingredient that originated in China should be withdrawn from the market. France has found White Rabbit candies and Koala biscuits in retail stores and has ordered these items recalled, as they contain in excess of 2.5 ppm melamine. Terrena, a French farming co-op, reported that it had found 75 ppm of melamine in a shipment of 293 metric tonnes of "organic" soymeal that it had imported from China. The soymeal was used to produce feed for organic poultry. Tests carried out on the poultry that were fed the melamine-contaminated feed did not detect any melamine in the flesh of the birds.

The Netherlands reports having detected melamine in Koala brand cookies and has ordered the products be removed from store shelves. Based on the Netherlands findings, the UK Food Standards Agency has announced that all date codes of four Koala varieties have been withdrawn from sale.

The UK, also a member of the European Union, has issued a news release assuring its citizens that none of the affected milk products were imported into the country, and that the Food Standards Agency is actively monitoring the situation. The Tesco supermarket chain in the UK has removed White Rabbit Creamy Candies from its stores. 

The UK Food Standards Agency also has alerted consumers to the withdrawal of several imported "novelty" items from retail sale, due to melamine contamination, including three chocolate items, four edible "body spread" items, and other miscellaneous confectionery products. 

The UK has consolidated all of its melamine alert information onto a single web page, which is updated regularly.

Gabon

This African country has banned the importation of milk products from China.

Hong Kong

A complete ban on melamine in foods has been announced and will be "gazetted" today. In order to allow for accidental trace migration of melamine into foodstuffs, Hong Kong has set limits of 1 ppm (1 mg/Kg) for foods intended for children under 36 months, and for lactating or pregnant women. The maximum level of melamine permitted in all other foods will be 2.5 ppm (2.5 mg/Kg). The new law puts the onus on industry to ensure that no melamine has been added to foods, and sets penalties of 6 months in jail and a $50,000 fine for transgressors.

Hong Kong has been systematically screening dairy imports from mainland China for melamine and has posted detailed results – including levels of melamine detected – daily. Two new items – Heinz DHA+AA Vegetable Formula Cereal and Silang House of Steamed Potato Wasabi Crackers – were added to the list of melamine-contaminated foods on September 26th.

The Centre for Food Safety has detected 16 ppm of melamine in a 454g package of White Rabbit Creamy Candies with an expiry date of November 20, 2009, and has instructed retailers to stop selling the products. 

The Centre for Food Safety has detected melamine in three different flavors of Lotte Koala biscuits. The agency has advised stores to withdraw the products, and the importer of this made-in-China biscuit has initiated a recall. 

The Centre for Food Safety has announced a recall of Lipton milk tea powders after Unilever's internal tests detected melamine. 

The Centre for Food Safety has found melamine at a level of 8.5 ppm in a sample of EDO Pack Almond Cacao Biscuit Sticks. CFS has requested retailers to stop carrying the product and has asked the agent to withdraw it.

The Centre for Food Safety has found melamine at a level of 12ppm in a sample of muscat flavor Doraemon Chocolate Gummy, and has requested that the product be withdrawn from the market. The sample was drawn from a 50g package with an expire date of August 19, 2009.

The Centre for Food Safety has found excessive melamine levels in two varieties of Munchy's Mini Crackers and in a sample of  strawberry flavour cream malt biscuits. All three items were imported from the Chinese mainland, and have been withdrawn from sale.

The Centre for Food Safety has found excessive melamine levels in a sample of Julie's Wheat Crackers. According to the Hong Kong government lab, the 350g pack of crackers, labeled with an expiry date of August 9, 2009, was contaminated with 5.8 ppm melamine.

A package of a third variety of Munchy crackers – Munchy's The Original Sugar Crackers – was reported by the Centre for Food Safety to contain 4 ppm melamine. CFS has asked that the product be withdrawn from sale. A restaurant-made cake, "Mai-lai" sponge cake, was withdrawn from sale after CFS detected excessive melamine. The agency is testing the ingredients that were used in the cake.

Select extra large fresh brown eggs with an expiry date of October 25, 2008, and Croley Foods Blueberry Cream Sandwich Sunflower Crackers (270g 10-pack) with an expiry date of December 5, 2008 were found to contain excessive melamine, and have been withdrawn from the market. 

An egg imported from China's Hubei Province was sampled at a Hong Kong restaurant and found to contain excessive melamine. The Centre for Food Safety has asked local tradesmen to stop selling eggs produced on October 10, 2008 and identified with batch number 4200/D0701808223. Another batch of eggs – from Jilin province – was reported on December 2nd to contain excessive melamine. The importer was notified and asked to stop selling the eggs; CFS is following up with bakeries that purchased eggs from the contaminated shipment.

Indonesia

The Indonesian government has banned the sale of milk imported from China, and has advised consumers to avoid foods that contain dairy ingredients from China. The country's Food and Drug Monitoring Agency is conducting systematic tests on Chinese dairy products.

Japan

Marudai Food Co. (Osaka) has announced a voluntary recall of five products that were manufactured at the factory of its Chinese subsidiary, and which contain milk as an ingredient. The products are identified as: Matcha Azuki Mirukuman, Cream Panda, Gratin Crepe Corn, Kakuni Pao, and Mocchiri Nikuman.

The Japanese health ministry has instructed food importers to determine which of the products that they import contain milk from Sanlu, Yili, Mengniu or Bright Dairy & Food Co. – the four largest Chinese dairy producers implicated in the melamine adulteration scheme.

The Osaka city government has found melamine in a chocolate product – "Chocolate Pillows" – imported from China by NS International Co., of Osaka. The city government has directed the importer to recall all "Chocolate Pillows" packages with an expiry date of April 14, 2009. 

Mitsui & Co has recalled egg powder imported from the PRC after finding that the powder contained low levels of melamine. Mitsui supplied some of the egg powder to Q.P. Egg Corp., a mayonnaise producer. Mitsui tested the imported egg powder after being informed by its supplier, Dalian Hanovo Foods, that melamine had been found in its egg powder and in poultry feed. Separately, the Japanese Health Ministry announced that melamine had been found in frozen fried chicken from China. The contaminated chicken was caught before it reached the retail market. 

Malaysia

The Malaysian government has instructed retailers and wholesalers to remove from sale all foods made using milk from China. The ban includes White Rabbit Creamy Candies, as well as biscuits and chocolates that contain milk powder imported from China. The government has initiated a random sampling of the withdrawn products from melamine testing, and has indicated that the order will remain in force until the melamine contamination issue is resolved in China. Malaysia has confiscated 866 food products suspected of containing melamine.

Malaysia announced that they were on the alert for melamine-contaminated vegetable products from China, after South Korea apparently detected melamine in some vegetables. No additional details were offered. 

The Malaysian government is warning consumers not to buy unlabeled biscuits, as these may be contaminated with melamine. The government detected melamine in two brands of biscuits – Khong Guan and Khian Guan – and ordered their withdrawal from the market. But some shopkeepers decided, instead, to break open the packages and sell the biscuits unlabeled. According to the government, the source of the melamine was ammonium bicarbonate (a chemical leavening agent used in baking) imported from China. 

Malaysia is investigating Munchy Food Industries as a result of the Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety having detected melamine in two flavors of Munchy's Mini Crackers. The CEO of Munchy claims that the company does not use any dairy ingredients from China in its products.

Myanmar (Burma)

The government of Myanmar has detected melamine in 9 of 16 brands of milk powder imported from China. The melamine-contaminated brands include Star Milk Powder (20g), Star (450g), Crown, Happy Baby Toys, Dulac (Dumex) Step 1 Infant Formula, Mandalay (raw milk powder), Two Cows Shi Lin (whole sweet milk powder), Rainbow and Enfagrow. Supermarkets and wholesale markets in the former national capital, Yangon, have removed the adulterated milk from sale, and Myanmar has banned future importation of these brands.

New Zealand

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority has been conducting random tests of Chinese-made dairy products for the presence of melamine. 

NZFSA is advising consumers to avoid consuming White Rabbit Creamy Candies, after finding 180 ppm of melamine in a sample of the product. The candies are sold through Asian retail stores, supermarkets and dairies. Anyone who has purchased the candies should either dispose of them or return them to the retailer for a refund. Parents of children who have eaten these candies may want to consult their medical practitioner.

The Warehouse has withdrawn four Chinese-made products from store shelves. The confectionery and biscuit products have been removed as a precautionary measure, pending receipt of test results.

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority has posted an expanded explanation of its current risk management approach to the melamine contamination issue. The agency also reports having completed testing on 116 samples of dairy products, covering all major manufacturers. All but four of the samples were negative for melamine. Four samples of lactoferrin were contaminated with "trace" amounts of the chemical.

Melamine at a concentration of 3.3 ppm has been detected in "Wahaha AD Milk Drink", an imported food from China. The importer has been contacted and has voluntarily withdrawn the product from sale. 

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority announced that four Chinese-made food products have been withdrawn due to excessive levels of melamine: Lotte Koala strawberry and chocolate biscuits, Q-show biscuits, and 220 mL bottles of Wahaha AD milk drink.

Philippines

The government of the Philippines has banned the importation and sale of baby formula and other milk products from China, and the Bureau of Food and Drugs has called upon citizens to report to the government any Chinese milk products that they encounter in the marketplace. The government has detected melamine in two milk brands from China so far – Mengniu and Yili. Both of these brands have been implicated in the Chinese melamine milk adulteration scandal. 

Republic of Ireland

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has announced a recall of White Rabbit Creamy Candy from China, after learning of the New Zealand test results. The candy is available for sale in some Asian and Chinese specialty stores. 

Russia

The country's Chief Sanitary Officer has announced a ban on imports of all Chinese food products that contain milk or milk derivatives. Foods containing powdered milk from China have been found in the Khabarovsk region of far eastern Russia and have been withdrawn from sale. These items had been imported from China before the ban went into effect.

Russia continues to identify milk-containing products from China and remove them from sale. On October 7th, the government found and withdrew two (metric) tonnes of Golden Milk, a vegetable-based dairy substitute containing 10% milk powder. Consumers are advised to avoid using this made-in-China milk substitute pending lab test results. Itar-Tass reported October 11th that Russian authorities had found and ordered withdrawn 63Kg of milk powder from China in three rural communities in the Altai Republic. 

Singapore

Singapore has suspended the sale and import of all milk-containing products from China, after finding melamine in a Yili yogurt bar, Dutch Lady Strawberry Milk, and White Rabbit Creamy Candy. The ban covers milk, ice cream, yogurt, chocolate, biscuits, candy, and any other products that contain milk from China as an ingredient. 

Since its initial release of test results, Singapore reports having found excessive amounts of melamine in six additional biscuits: Baby Looney Tunes Cream Filled Biscuits Assorted Family Pack, C & OK Vigour 888 Egg & Milk, Khong Guan Mini Burger Biscuit Bulk Pack, Liluo Fruit P.D. Almond Flavour, Potter Potato Chips Pizza and Tom & Jerry Cheese Balls. This brings to 22 the total number of melamine-contaminated products from China that have been detected by Singapore authorities.

Singapore has lifted a ban on "Julie's" brand biscuits – manufactured in Malaysia – after inspecting the factories. The action is contingent on each consignment being accompanied by a health certificate and lab report.

Singapore has lifted its suspension of milk and milk-based products imported from China. Products manufactured on or after December 18, as long as the manufacturers have complied with agreed-to conditions. NEW Dec 22

South Africa

The South Africa Department of Health has issued an order to detain all Chinese food products that contain milk or any other dairy component, including whey, lactose or casein. 

South Korea (Republic of Korea)

The Korean Food and Drug Administration is expanding its melamine surveillance to include all dairy products and ingredients imported from China. The program, which at first was limited to imported products that contained a dairy ingredient, has been widened to include item such as whey, casein, powdered milk and condensed milk.

Separately, South Korea has reported finding traces of melamine in fish feed made from squid caught domestically and in China.

South Korea has detected melamine in a total of 10 products so far. Most recently, the Korean Food and Drug Administration detected very low levels of the chemical in two Mars products – Snickers Peanut Funsize and M&Ms chocolate milk – Nestlé's KitKat wafers, and a biscuit made by Lotte Confectionery Co. Nestlé did not respond immediately to the finding; Mars Korea and Lotte both indicated that they would withdraw the contaminated products from sale. 

Sweden

Chocolate pies manufactured by Master Kong Dingyi International Food Corporation (Tianjin, China) – later found to contain melamine – were imported into Sweden by a Stockholm wholesaler. The pies arrived in Sweden at the end of June 2008 and are believed to have already been consumed. No official recall notice has been issued. 

Taiwan

All tainted milk products from the People's Republic of China have been banned from sale in Taiwan. In addition, Taiwan has detected melamine in several products that contain non-dairy vegetable proteins. The tainted non-dairy items were Mr Brown products imported by King Car Company. Taiwan is the only country, so far to report finding melamine in non-dairy protein-containing products from mainland China.

The Taiwan Department of Health has instructed all distributors and retailers to remove from sale "... all food and beverages using Chinese-made milk powder, cream and vegetable protein." All of the withdrawn foods will be subjected to testing for melamine contamination. Foods that meet government standards will be allowed back onto store shelves. 

Taiwan also has ordered a recall of melamine-contaminated lactoferrin imported from New Zealand. 

The government of Taiwan has tested Nestlé milk powders from China and has found low levels of melamine (0.3 to 0.85 ppm) in some of the samples. While the Taiwan health ministry acknowledges that these very low levels do not pose any significant health threat, the government has requested – and Nestlé has agreed to – a recall.

Taiwan also has ordered the withdrawal of frozen octopus balls imported from China, pending testing for melamine contamination.

Taiwan is attempting to trace 200 tonnes of ammonium bicarbonate – a chemical leavening agent used in baking and some other food applications – that was reported to be contaminated with melamine. The bicarbonate was imported from China by Sesoda Corp., and sold to food processors and bakeries. Hunya Foods Co. has recalled all of its products that were manufactured with the ammonium bicarbonate imported by Sesoda.

Peacock brand biscuits, manufactured by Kuai Kuai Co., Ltd., were discovered to contain low levels of melamine and withdrawn from sale. The biscuits, which contained some melamine-contaminate leavening agent, were sold in convenience stores, and in Carrefour, Geant and RT-marts retail outlets.

Several samples of protein powder from two mainland China suppliers were found to contain melamine and have been withdrawn by the importing companies. As a result of this latest melamine finding, Taiwan has banned the importation of all protein powder from mainland China. 

Tanzania

Tanzania has banned the importation of Chinese milk products.

Thailand

Bangkok Post has reported that the Thai Food and Drug Administration has asked retailers to suspend the sale of several biscuits and candies, which might contain dairy products from China, in order to give the agency some time to conduct tests for melamine. The list of products includes Oreo wafer sticks, Dove milk chocolate bars, M&M chocolate candies, Snickers caramel peanut bars and nougat, Mentos yoghurt candies, and Mao Huad coffee and oatmeal crackers. 

The Thai Food and Drug Administration reported that all ten brands of dairy products imported into Thailand from China were free from melamine contamination.

The bakery company S&P Syndicate PCL has withdrawn Milk Cookies S&P from its 280 outlets nationwide as a precaution after it was advised that the Swiss government had found melamine in a sample of the cookies. The bakery advised Thai media that the cookies contained milk powder from Australia – not from China – and that the company would be submitting samples to the Thai government for melamine tests. 

The Thai FDA reports having found "very high levels" of melamine (92.82 ppm) in a domestic brand of condensed milk. Mali brand unsweetened condensed milk, a product of Thai Dairy Industry Co. Ltd., is manufactured with ingredients imported from several countries, including Belgium, Switzerland, Australia, Germany and India. The Reuters press report does not indicate whether any ingredients were imported directly from China. 

United States

FDA has advised consumers that infant formulas approved for sale in the United States do not contain any ingredients from China. The agency, in cooperation with state health agencies, has visited more than 1,000 Asian ethnic food markets to check for the presence of Chinese-made infant formulas. So far, none have been found. The FDA strongly advises consumers not to purchase Chinese-made infant formula over the Internet or from any other sources.

In 2007, the United States instituted an Import Alert allowing for automatic detention of vegetable protein products from China after melamine-laced wheat gluten used in in the manufacture of pet foods was fingered as the cause of widespread poisoning of dogs and cats. That Import Alert is still in force.

FDA has issued recall notices for White Rabbit Candy, imported from China by QFCO, Inc., for Mr. Brown 3-in-1 Instant Coffee and Milk Tea and for Fresh and Crispy Jacobina Biscuits, distributed by Everlasting Distributors (Bayonne, NJ). The California Department of Public Health has posted a list of retail outlets in the state that carry White Rabbit candies. FDA also has announced a recall of several flavors of Blue Cat Flavor Drinks after the agency's own tests detected melamine in the product in excess of 2.5 ppm. 

FDA announced a recall of two varieties of Yili brand milk drinks after the agency detected melamine in samples of both drinks. 

FDA advised consumers on October 17th that Lotte USA, Inc. had recalled all varieties of Koala March brand biscuits from the US market on September 29th.

Walgreen's recalled 173 teddy bears with chocolate bars. The chocolate was determined to contain more than 2.5 ppm of melamine.

FDA advised consumers of recalls of Wonderfarm Biscuits and G&J Gourmet Market cocoa products, samples of which were determined to contain more than 2.5 ppm melamine.

NEW DEC 22

Other US states continue to remind consumers to avoid White Rabbit Candy. Connecticut and Wisconsin, in particular, have announced finding the candies in stores located in several communities in those states. And the Minnesota Department of Agriculture announced that several samples of Wonderfarm brand "Successful" biscuits contained excessive levels of melamine.

The state of Connecticut reported on November 28th that it had found excessive amounts of melamine in Topaz Wafer Rolls with Hazelnut Chocolate-Flavored Cream Filling (production lot #L832 99D). The wafer rolls were distributed by National Brands (Valley Stream, NY) and sold in Ocean State Job Lot stores. The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection is working to obtain retail distribution information from National Brands, and is continuing to cooperate with FDA on the melamine investigation.

Uruguay

An indefinite ban on all dairy imports from China was announced October 2nd. 

Vietnam

The government of Vietnam ordered importers to recall and destroy 18 dairy-containing products from China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand after finding traces of melamine in samples of those products. The Ministry of Health did not name all of the implicated products, but noted that most of the recalled items were made in China, including five varieties of Yili milk. Vietnam has instituted a requirement that milk products be tested for melamine before being allowed into the country. 

The China Syndrome: Where Will It End?

Four Mainland Chinese babies are dead, and close to 53,000 other babies and toddlers have been diagnosed with kidney stones. Nearly one-quarter of them  are still in hospital – 104 in serious condition. The head of China's food safety watchdog agency has resigned. And that's not all.

Two Hong Kong youngsters – a three-year old girl and a four-year old boy – also have been diagnosed with kidney stones. Fortunately, neither child is in any danger of serious illness. 

Hong Kong has systematically been testing all dairy products in its local market that originated in mainland China, or that were made using ingredients from the mainland. And it has found several melamine-contaminated foods, including a milk-based dessert product that also was exported to Canada. Singapore has reported finding melamine in White Rabbit Creamy Candy, a popular Chinese sweet. And Taiwan has detected melamine in several products containing vegetable-based, non-dairy cream substitutes.

In addition to torpedoing China's attempts to repair its tarnished food safety reputation, this scandal threatens to damage the names of some multi-national companies; notably Nestlé and Fonterra –whose Chinese subsidiary, Sanlu, was the first dairy implicated in the melamine adulteration.

Fonterra has been accused of being slow to blow the whistle on its Chinese subsidiary. The New Zealand company learned about the melamine contamination in early August, but elected to try to work through the "system" rather than go public with its information. When Fonterra finally advised the New Zealand government of the melamine health risk in early September, New Zealand pressured Chinese authorities to initiate a public recall.

Hong Kong reported finding a low level of melamine (1.4 ppm) in a sample of Nestlé Dairy Farm Pure Milk, imported from mainland China. The Swiss multi-national responded to the finding by stating its confidence that no Nestlé products were made using melamine-contaminated milk.

The next can of worms to be opened will be the presence of melamine in vegetable proteins from China. Taiwan's report is just the leading edge of that typhoon.

The China Syndrome: Is Nestlé Being Straight With Consumers?

Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety has reported finding melamine in a sample of Nestlé Dairy Farm Pure Milk. The one-liter package, sold for use in catering, was found to contain 1.4 ppm melamine (1.4 mg of melamine per Kg). The melamine-contaminated milk was produced by Nestlé Qingdao Limited, in Qingdao, China.

Nestlé's corporate offices released a statement in response to the reports. The company expressed confidence "... that none of its products in China is made from milk adulterated with melamine." The press release goes on to say that the lowest concentration of melamine that can be detected by common lab tests is 2 ppm, and that, based on a 2 ppm level, "... a three-year old child would have to consume over 40 litres of milk every day to exceed ... safety limits." 

The safety limits referred to in the Nestlé statement are so-called "tolerable daily intake" levels of 0.5 mg of melamine per Kg body weight/day in the EU, and 0.63 mg/Kg in the US. Does the arithmetic make sense?

• 2 ppm represents 2 mg of melamine per liter or kilogram of milk
  
• 40 liters of milk x 2 mg represents a total of 80 mg of melamine
  
• at a "tolerable daily intake" of 0.63 mg/Kg, a person would need to weigh 80 ÷ 0.63, or 127 Kg to tolerate 80 mg of melamine per day
  

Swiss 3-year old children might weigh 127 Kg (unlikely though it seems), but it's highly doubtful that Chinese children way one-tenth as much. In fact, even if one assumes that a 3-year old child weighs 15 Kg, the "tolerable daily intake" would be 15 x 0.63, or 9.45 mg of melamine. At 2 ppm, this still represents more than 4.7 liters of milk, but it's a far cry from the 40 liters claimed in the Nestlé statement. Younger children weigh less, of course, and would have a lower tolerance.

In any event, Nestlé's argument is specious. There is no excuse for melamine in milk. Instead of trying to minimize the problem, Nestlé should get busy checking on its Chinese operations. It will do this multinational company no good to be associated with China's adulterated milk scandal.

The China Syndrome: Won The Battle, Losing The War

China's food safety reputation is slipping away at a pace that would leave a nuclear meltdown in the dust.

The country's leaders promised that food served in the Olympic village and at the various venues would be safe. And they delivered. Now that the games are over, China finds itself the focus of an international food adulteration scandal.

Four infants have died, more than 40,000 have been taken to hospital for examination or treatment, and 12,892 of them remain hospitalized – 104 in serious condition. Melamine has been detected in powdered milk, fluid milk and other dairy products manufactured and sold by China's largest dairy companies, including Yili, Mengniu and Sanlu.

Melamine is an industrial chemical that is high in nitrogen. Standard food lab analytical methods to determine protein content simply measure the amount of nitrogen present in a sample. Therefore, food that is adulterated with melamine appears to have a high protein content. Special tests are needed to determine whether the apparent protein content is real, or is due to the addition of melamine.

The ripples from China's melamine adulteration scandal have spread well beyond the country's borders. Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous territory of China, has reported one confirmed illness in a 3-year old child who had been fed Yili brand high-calcium, low-fat milk for the past 15 months. Taiwan also has found melamine – in instant coffee, milk tea, and chicken-and-corn soup, all of which contain non-dairy creamer.

As melamine is detected in an increasing range of products, more countries are closing their borders to foods from China, and are removing Chinese foodstuffs from store shelves. Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Singapore, have all announced bans and recalls. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Philippines are among those countries that have alerted their Asian communities to the problem, and are taking precautionary steps – including random sampling of retail products – to ensure that no suspect foods are available for sale.

The Chinese government has been in damage-control mode – both internally and internationally – since the melamine adulteration problem became public. Arrests, dismissals and resignations have been announced, government leaders have visited sick babies in hospital, and the government has instructed that no expense be spared in treating hospitalized victims.

Ironically, Beijing is playing host this coming week to the China International Food Safety & Quality Conference, and Bill Marler is one of the invited speakers. Marler reported receiving an email from the conference organizers the other day. The message read, in part,

"As a reminder, all speakers are expected to exercise diplomacy during your presentation. The CIFSQ Conference is intended to encourage healthy constructive dialogue and information exchange amongst industry players, government regulators and the scientific community to enhance food safety for consumers."

Perhaps the Chinese government should have invited the parents of some of hospitalized infants to join their constructive dialogue.

China's Adulterated Milk - How Far Did It Travel?

China's melamine-adulterated milk scandal keeps growing larger. The chemical adulterant has been detected in fluid milk, ice cream and yogurt, in addition to milk powder. 

Countries that have imported dairy products from China are scrambling to determine whether those products are adulterated.

• Hong Kong found melamine in eight dairy products manufactured by Yili – one of the two largest dairies in China, and one of the 22 dairies implicated in the melamine investigation – and has ordered a recall of all Yili dairy products in the Territory. The Centre for Food Safety announced that it was testing infant milk powder available for sale in the former British Crown Colony even though government authorities had been assured that the milk powder sold in Hong Kong contained no ingredients from the mainland.
  
• Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority has ordered all Yili dairy products removed from store shelves, and is testing samples of Yili products and those from another Chinese dairy company.
  
• Bangladesh has initiated testing of milk powder imported from China. The government indicated that it would impose a ban milk imports from China if melamine is found in any of the samples.
  
• The UK Food Standards Agency issued an advisory to consumers, stating that there is "... currently no evidence that any of the affected milk, milk powder or powdered infant formula has been imported into the UK." The Agency added that it would continue to monitor the situation.
  
• CFIA issued an advisory to Canadians to avoid purchasing infant formula manufactured in China, which may be found in some ethnic food stores. Canadian inspectors are checking retail stores for the imported baby formula, and CFIA has initiated a border watch. The advisory also indicated that Health Canada had contacted Canada's four major infant formula manufacturers to confirm that none of them had used ingredients from China. T&T Supermarket, a major Chinese supermarket chain, announced that it was removing two yogurt drinks manufactured by Mengniu – one of the large Chinese dairy companies implicated in the melamine probe – from its store shelves. T&T has stores in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. 
  
• FDA issued a Health Advisory to US consumers, warning that infant milk powder formula available in some ethnic stores might contain melamine. The federal agency urged consumers to avoid using the imported infant formula. Milk powder from China is not an approved ingredient for infant formula produced in the United States. 
  
• New Zealand has begun a random sampling of milk-containing products from China sold in Asian supermarkets.
  

There's bound to be more repercussions as the scope of China's adulterated dairy scandal becomes more clearly defined.

"Sorry" Isn't Good Enough

Three babies are dead, 1,327 are in hospital – 158 with severe kidney failure – and 6,244 infants have been sickened so far, after having been fed melamine-adulterated baby milk formula. 

Melamine is an industrial chemical and is not a permitted food additive. It apparently was added to watered-down milk supplied to San Lu and other Chinese dairy companies so that the diluted milk would not fail a standard protein content test. Melamine cannot be distinguished from protein in standard lab tests; its presence produces a falsely high protein content reading. 

In response to the health emergency, the Chinese government conducted an urgent inspection of all 109 domestic milk powder producers. Sixty-nine out of 491 batches tested by the government have been found to contain melamine. 

The 69 contaminated batches were produced by 22 different companies – 20% of the country's milk powder producers. The highest melamine concentration, 2,563 mg/Kg, was discovered in a sample of San Lu milk powder. Positive samples from other milk powder companies contained far less melamine –  from 0.09 mg/Kg to 619 mg/Kg.

China has arrested four suspects at this stage in its investigation – all of them milk dealers who supplied San Lu. An additional 22 people have been detained for questioning.

The scandal has prompted a flurry of news releases – from companies announcing recalls, from companies announcing that their milk was melamine-free, from foreign companies who hold a stake in a Chinese dairy company, and from the Chinese government.

• Synutra International Inc. announced a recall of its U-Smart milk powder, while pointing out that the melamine content of its product was "only" 150 mg/Kg, compared to San Lu's 2,563 mg/Kg. The company also announced a precautionary recall of all products manufactured using milk from Heibei and Inner Mongolia, the two regions implicated in the melamine adulteration.
  
• Yayi International Inc., and Emerald Dairy Inc. both announced that their samples had passed the government's tests, and both companies reaffirmed their commitments to quality and safety.
  
• Arla Foods, a Swedish dairy company advised that its Chinese joint-venture partner, Mengniu Dairy, was caught up in the scandal. Three Mengniu products tested positive for melamine. Arla announced that the adulterated milk powder was being recalled and production had been halted at the Mengniu facility. And Mengniu suspended trading in its stock on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Wednesday, but gave no explanation for its action.
  
• The Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety reported having detected melamine in a Natural Choice yogurt-flavored ice cream bar, produced by Shanghai Yili AB Foods. CFS suggested that the ice cream may have been contaminated by utensils used during manufacture. The contaminated product is being recalled.
  
• And Fonterra – the New Zealand partner of San Lu, the Chinese company in the center of the storm –  announced the recall of ANMUM Materna brand prenatal milk. There have been no illnesses linked to this product. It was, however, also manufactured and distributed by San Lu.
  

The formal apologies are piling up. The chairwoman and general manager of San Lu Group has been fired, and the vice secretary of the Shijazhuang Municipal Committee has been removed from his post.

China placed great emphasis, in the months and weeks leading up to the Olympic games, on its advances in food safety regulation. The Chinese government promised a food-safe Olympic games. And it delivered on that promise. Aside from one or two very minor incidents, there were no reports of food poisoning among the athletes and officials who participated in the games.

But it's hard not to wonder whether San Lu's management dragged its feet in responding to the melamine situation. As we reported on Monday, San Lu management reported the problem to its Board of Directors on August 2nd – 6 days before the Olympic Games opening ceremonies. Yet the company decided against a public recall, despite Fonterra's attempts to convince San Lu that a public recall was necessary. 

Another major food adulteration scandal just before the opening of the Olympic Games would have caused a major loss of face for the Chinese government. And nothing is more important than face. 

A senior marketing lecturer at Massey University in New Zealand offered the opinion that Fonterra had no choice but to adapt to Chinese traditional ways if it wanted to continue doing business in that country. 

"You don't want to go public," Henry Chung told the New Zealand Herald, "unless it is absolutely necessary. It's face saving that is a key issue in doing business in China."

Unfortunately, in an effort to save face, Fonterra, San Lu, and a number of Chinese government officials broke faith with the most helpless segment of the Chinese population – nursing babies. 

"Sorry" isn't good enough. Words are cheap. Actions are what count.