Two babies with kidney stones receive medical treatment at a military hospital in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2008. China dairy giant Sanlu Group apologized to the public on Monday for its contaminated milkpowder which had sickened 1,253 babies with kidney stones, two fatally.

China dairy giant Sanlu Group apologized to the public on Monday for its contaminated milkpowder which had sickened 1,253 babies with kidney stones, two fatally.

Zhang Zhenling, Sanlu's vice president, read a letter of apology at a news briefing on Monday afternoon in Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei Province, where the corporation is based.

"The serious safety accident of the Sanlu formula milk powder for infants has caused severe harm to many sickened babies and their families. We feel really sad about this," he said while reading the letter to reporters.

"Sanlu Group expresses its most sincere apology to you."

File photo shows ad of Sanlu baby milk powder. China dairy giant Sanlu Group apologized to the public on Monday for its contaminated milkpowder which had sickened 1,253 babies with kidney stones, two fatally.

"We solemnly declare we will recall all the infant milk powder produced prior to August 6," Zhang said. "And for those produced after that date, we will also make a recall if consumers have doubts and worries."

Sanlu's baby formula has been found to contain melamine, a chemical raw material believed to cause the condition after baby kidney stone cases were recently revealed in different places across the country.

According to the Ministry of Health, the two deaths in Gansu were a five-month-old boy who died on May 1 after his family refused further treatment and an eight-month-old girl whose family also refused an operation and removed her from hospital on July 22 on which day she died. Both of the two were bred with the Sanlu formula and suffered kidney failure.

Among the more than 1,200 sick babies, 53 had "relatively serious symptoms," the ministry said at a news conference in Beijing on Monday.