China has started investigation on enterprises involved in the
fake milk powder scandal in Fuyang City, east China's Anhui
Province, which has caused 12 babies dead and 189 babies sick
of malnutrition, according to the State Administration of Quality
Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (SAQSIQ).
The administration issued a notice Friday, ordering
comprehensive probe and clean-up of enterprises producing or
processing the sub-standard milk powder in 11 provinces, autonomous
regions and municipalities, including Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia,
Zhejiang, Shanghai, Beijing, Hebei, Shandong, Fujian, Jiangxi,
Hubei and Henan.
The notice also required severe punishment of related officials
in local quality supervision departments for failing to prevent
these guilty producers.
The inferior milk powder scandal has stirred a nationwide uproar
and Premier Wen Jiabao gave an immediate order in late April to
launch a thorough investigation into the cases in Fuyang City and
in other areas.
Investigators declared in the mid of May that many facts on the
case, including production sources, distribution channels and
distribution scopes of the substandard milk powders, as well as how
the substandard milk powder causing diseases, had been made
clear.
Hygienic tests showed that some lawbreakers produced milk powder
by starch, sugar, milk essence and other cheap ingredients, making
the milk powder deficient in protein, fat, vitamin, which are
necessary for child growth.
Fifty-five types of substandard milk powder were found sold in
Fuyang in the investigation. They were produced by about 40
enterprises in over 10 provinces, autonomous regions and
municipalities and were sold to Fuyang mainly through Wankelai
market in Zhengzhou of central China's Henan
Province, Changjiang wholesale market in Hefei, capital of
Anhui Province, and Taipingjie market in Bengbu of Anhui
Province.
Forty-seven people were detained earlier in May, among whom 40
were arrested on charges of producing and marketing fake milk
powder.
Nine officials in Fuyang, including city mayor Liu Qingqiang and
two vice-mayors, have been sacked or given disciplinary penalties
for dereliction of duty.
(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2004)