China's quality watchdog, the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) is investigating a brand of baby milk powder suspected responsible for the rising number of infants suffering from kidney stones.

AQSIQ started looking in to a possible connection on Tuesday, when 14 cases of infants afflicted with kidney stones were reported in northwest Gansu province, a spokesperson of the agency said.

He did not say when the administration would publish the results from samples.

An unknown number of infants were reported to have suffered from kidney stones in at least seven provinces and regions across China. Doctors and parents suspected it could be a result of drinking milk powder with the Sanlu.

The provincial public health bureau in Gansu is also investigating Sanlu for possible connections between the milk powder and the baby's kidney stones.

Sanlu Group, a leading dairy products company in the country, said the milk powder branded Sanlu could be mislabeled. It claims someone might be counterfeiting their product and has sent people to Gansu to conduct its own investigation.

This is not the first time Sanlu has been in the headlines in connection with a food quality scandal.

(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2008)