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Head of the China's top quality watchdog is on an inspection tour in Hebei province, the production base of the Sanlu Group.
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The company's baby milk powder was found to be contaminated with the chemical melamine. There have been 432 confirmed cases of infants developing kidney stones after drinking the powdered milk, and two have died from complications.
This laboratory is at the forefront of the battle to ensure the safety of baby milk powder.
This is China's second high profile case in four years involving contaminated baby food. And inspectors made their stance clear and firm.
Li Changjiang, head of State Admin. of Quality Supervision, said, "Those who added a chemical into the milk products caused much suffering to innocent babies as well as consumers. This is intolerable and will be severely punished."
This is the chemical in question melamine. Mixed with milk-powder under the brand of Sanlu, the chemical raw material has caused kidney stones for at least 432 babies. And two of them have died.
And all of Sanlu Group's baby milk powder products, produced before August 6th, have been pulled off shop shelves. The company was also ordered to cease production.
But many Chinese consumers now have doubts about other brands of milk products.
Li Changjiang said, "Dairy production has mushroomed in China in the past few years, and there are now over 1,500 dairy manufacturers in the country. We have arranged for 150 state-level inspection centers to participate in a cross-country inspection."
Technician from Inspection Center, Hebei Province, said, "All of us are working around the clock without a break. One instrument here can test 4 or 5 samples per hour."
The State Administration of Quality Supervision is set to publish the results of its nationwide inspection in two days.
(CCTV September 16, 2008)
