BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- In the wake of the contaminated baby milk powder scandal, Chinese quality watchdog on Wednesday cancelled all kinds of national inspection exemptions previously given to food producers.

    "Considering the particular characteristics of food products and the complexity in the cause of food safety problems, and with a view to further enhancing supervision over food producers, ensuring food safety and protecting consumers' interests," said the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) in an explanation of the move.

    It said relevant companies must stop activities of publicizing their national inspection exemption qualifications. The national inspection exemption labels printed on food products and their packages became invalid from Wednesday.

    To help companies avoid repeated examinations and reduce their burden, the country began exempting those producing top-quality and globally-competitive products from quality inspections in 2000.

Saleswomen check the returned Sanlu brand milk powders in a supermarket in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Sept. 17, 2008. (Xinhua/Liu Quanlong) Photo Gallery>>>

    According to previous regulations, any company in China could apply for the inspection-exemption if they had a long standing quality record, large market share, and implemented standards up to or above national or international levels.

    The products that passed state or province-level inspections on three consecutive occasions were awarded the qualification. While producers still must report the inspection-free products' quality status on a regular basis, AQSIQ organized spot checks on these products annually.

    Before the move, AQSIQ had cancelled the exemption qualification of Shijiazhuang-based Sanlu Group and the "Famous Brand" titles of its baby milk powder, other kinds of milk powder and sterilized milk.

    It was amending quality standards of dairy products targeting non-food additives. It would adjust its baby formula standards to allow tests of poisonous substances such as melamine.

    No melamine tests were conducted on dairy products in the past. New standards would be published later this year, AQSIQ said.

A woman her baby return Sanlu brand milk powders in a supermarket in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Sept. 17, 2008. The Chinese government on Wednesday announced a comprehensive nationwide tests for melamine on every dairy product by every producer after a third infant died after drinking contaminated milk powder, The State Administration for Industry and Commerce, which supervises product quality at retail level, also ordered all the tainted products to be immediately be taken off shelves. (Xinhua/Liu Quanlong)  Photo Gallery>>>

    The country's Certification and Accreditation Administration also said on Wednesday it revoked all certificates given to Sanlu and its products, including the sanitation registration qualification of food for export.

    The government on Wednesday announced comprehensive nationwide tests for melamine on every dairy product by every producer after a third infant died after drinking contaminated milk powder.

    The latest fatality occurred in the southeastern Zhejiang Province, Minister of Health Chen Zhu told a press conference in Beijing. He gave no further information about the latest fatality.

    The first two deaths both occurred in northwest Gansu Province. A five-month-old boy died on May 1 and an eight-month-old girl succumbed on July 22.

    Both were fed with Sanlu formula and had suffered kidney failure

    Another 6,244 infants were ill after consuming the tainted formula as of 8 a.m. on Wednesday, including 158 with acute kidney failure, of which 94 were in stable condition, Chen said.

    Inspectors had found the chemical in 69 batches of baby milk powder produced by 22 companies nationwide. The seized items included such well-known brands as Sanlu, Mengniu, Yili and Yashili, among others.

    The State Administration for Industry and Commerce, which supervises product quality at the retail level, on Wednesday ordered all the tainted products to be immediately removed from shelves.

    The contaminated products were to be sealed at the site and kept from re-entering the market.

    New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra, which owns a 43-percent stake in Sanlu, said on Tuesday its own Chinese business had voluntarily recalled one batch of Anmum Materna milk.

    The company said the particular batch had been manufactured and distributed under licence by Sanlu using what it believed to be contaminated local raw milk.

    Melamine is a toxic chemical, banned in food. It is rich in nitrogen and was illegally added to raw milk for protein tests that raise nitrogen levels.

China's cabinet orders inspections, reform of dairy industry

BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- An executive meeting of the State Council (cabinet), presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao, on Wednesday decided to launch national comprehensive tests of dairy products and reform the dairy industry.

According to the meeting, the incident involving the tainted Sanlu milk powder reflected chaotic industry conditions, as well as loopholes in the supervision and management of the industry. Full story

Another official sacked; company chairwoman detained in China milk scandal

SHIJIAZHUANG, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Another official in the northern Chinese city of Shijiazhuang has been sacked as a baby formula contamination scandal spreads in the country.

Ji Chuntang was removed from his post as vice secretary of the Shijiazhuang Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Full story

China to adjust infant formula standard

BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- China will adjust its baby formula standards to allow tests of poisonous substances such as melamine, said the country's quality watchdog on Wednesday.

Li Changjiang, head of the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said melamine tests were not conducted before because it is not allowed in food. Full story

No melamine found in imported dairy products

BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- No melamine was found in 224 samples of dairy products imported from 18 countries and regions, China's quality watchdog said on Wednesday

Meanwhile, it issued an urgent circular on Wednesday, ordering inspection and quarantine departments nationwide to increase melamine tests on imported and exported feed, with a view to "ensuring safety of feed and feed additives". Full story

Two more suspects arrested in China baby milk powder scandal 

    SHIJIAZHUANG, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The number of arrests connected to China's tainted baby milk powder scandal has risen tosix with the apprehension of two more suspects in the northern city of Shijiazhuang.

    Two villagers were charged with selling the chemical melamine and adding it to milk sold to the Sanlu Group based in the Hebei provincial capital Shijiazhuang. Full story

China quality watchdog probes officials for dereliction in milk powder scandal 

    BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Li Changjiang, head of China's quality watchdog, said on Wednesday the agency has started internal investigations to determine if there was any dereliction of duty in the tainted baby formula scandal.

    Li told a press conference here the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine will punish those offenders according to the law. Full story

Tang Yiwen, 9-month old, is checked by doctor at a children's hospital in Guilin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Sept. 16, 2008. The infant milk powder produced by most companies in China was safe according to the nationwide check results following the Sanlu baby formula scam, the country's State Council departments said on Tuesday.   (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

China's Hebei, center of milk scandal, reports more sickened infants 

    SHIJIAZHUANG, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Hebei Province, the center of the contaminated baby formula scandal, on Wednesday said it hard received reports of 638 sick infants in one day.

    Gao Chunqiu, deputy chief of the provincial health department, told a press conference that 12,510 people consulted medical facilities in the province between midday on Monday and midday on Tuesday, and 638 babies were diagnosed with urinary calculus (stones). Full story

Dairy supply for Olympics safe due to "special management" 

    BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The dairy supply for the Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympic Games were untainted by melamine because of "special management measures", China's top quality control official said here Wednesday.

    "All the food supply, including dairy, for the Olympics and Paralympics were safe," Li Changjiang, head of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) told a press conference. Full story

Officials, company manager sacked following baby milk powder scandal 

    SHIJIAZHUANG, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Four local officials in north China's Hebei Province were fired on Tuesday following the baby milk powder scandal across the country.

    Zhang Fawang, vice mayor in charge of agricultural production of Hebei provincial capital Shijiazhuang, and Sun Renhu, the city's animal husbandry administration chief, were fired late Tuesday following legal procedures, according to a decision made by the city's legislative body. Full story

China seizes 22 companies with contaminated baby milk powder 

    BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese inspectors have found the chemical melamine in 69 batches of baby milk powder produced by 22 companies nationwide, the country's quality watchdog said late on Tuesday.

    The authorities ordered a halt to the sale of the tainted products which included such well-known brands as Sanlu, Mengniu, Yili and Yashili, among others. Full story

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>>>

Health ministry orders better treatment for poisoned milk powder victims 

    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. 

China orders market inspections after baby milk powder contamination

    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.