Two babies with kidney stones receive
medical treatment at a military hospital in Lanzhou, capital of northwest
China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2008.(Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
SHIJIAZHUANG,
Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese quality watchdog would publicize the results of a
nationwide inspection on baby milk powder in two days, said a senior quarantine
official on Sunday.
Li Changjiang, head of the State Administration of
Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), said more than
150state-level inspection centers were working round the clock to test samples
from all around the country.
During his tour to Hebei provincial inspection
center, Li required inspectors to carry out tests seriously and carefully to
reach a scientific, accurate and authoritative report. He said the AQSIQ would
organize inspections on other kinds of dairy products following the baby milk
powder tests.
He urged inspectors to examine every potentially
problematic points in the production process and find out the problematic source
so as to prevent any contamination.
On Sunday, Li led an inspection group to the Hebei
provincial quality inspection center and the laboratory of Hebei entry-exit
inspection and quarantine bureau. Other teams of officials were heading for
Guangdong, and Heilongjiang provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to
inspect local diary product companies.
On Saturday evening the State Administration for
Industry and Commerce ordered that all the Sanlu brand baby milk powder
manufactured before Aug. 6 should be immediately removed from sale as it had
caused kidney stones of at least 432 babies nationwide.
The Sanlu Group, a leading Chinese dairy producer
based in northern Hebei Province, admitted Friday that it had found some of its
baby milk powder products were contaminated with melamine, a chemical raw
material. It issued an immediate recall of milk formula made before Aug. 6.
The provincial government has ordered a halt of
production of the Sanlu Group. Meanwhile, it has ordered local police to try
their best to work on the case. Local hospitals were also ready to deal with a
possible surge of baby patients.
Hebei provincial Party secretary Zhang Yunchuan said
on Saturday night that the company should make proper arrangements for workers
to make sure they would have basic living allowances after the halt of
production.
In other parts of the country, local authorities also
made urgent arrangements. The quality inspection and quarantine bureau of
Southwestern Yunnan Province canceled the three-day holidays of the Mid-Autumn
Festival and organized a special inspection on local baby milk powder producers.
In northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a major
dairy production base in China, local food safety authorities issued an alert on
Saturday, calling for relevant government agencies including health, commerce,
quality control, agricultural and husbandry offices to take part in a
synchronized campaign targeting baby milk powder.
In the northern ancient city of Xi'an, local commerce
bureau had seized suspicious milk powder weighing up to 350 kilograms by
Saturday. While in the southernmost Hainan Province, three babies, who were
confirmed to have developed kidney stones from drinking Sanlu milk powder, had
been hospitalized.
File photo shows ad of Sanlu baby milk
powder. North China's Hebei provincial government has ordered a halt of
production of the Sanlu Group, the producer of the contaminated milk
powder that initial investigation shows caused kidney stones of at least
432 babies.(cnsphoto) Photo
Gallery>>>
BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua)-- China's Ministry of
Health (MOH) on Sunday ordered provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities
to set up expert panels to provide medical consultation for baby patients
poisoned by contaminated milk powder.
Medical institutions must provide sick babies with free
and in-time treatment in accordance with the treatment plan set up by the MOH,
and consult provincial expert panels or MOH experts if necessary, the ministry
said.
BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese central government
is sending teams of officials after a contaminated baby milk scandal to make
sure the investigation is carried out properly.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision,
Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) Sunday sent working groups to Hebei,
Guangdong, and Heilongjiang provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to
inspect diary product companies.
Two babies with kidney stones receive
medical treatment at a military hospital in Lanzhou, capital of northwest
China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2008.(Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Police have questioned 78 people suspected of
being involved in a baby milk powder contamination scandal, said Shijiazhuang
Vice Mayor Zhao Xinchao on Friday.
The city is where the formula was being manufactured
by Sanlu Group. Full story
BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sanlu Group, a leading
Chinese dairy producer, said it had found in its self-check that some of its
baby milk powder products were contaminated by tripolycyanamide. Full story
BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The number of babies sick in
a milk powder scandal in China continues to grow as at least seven provinces are
now reporting cases of kidney stones in infants.
National food and health authorities are trying to find
out if all the babies drank the same brand of milk powder. Samples had been sent
to a state-run lab for analysis. Full story
