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(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-12-25 13:41

Tainted-milk scandal sparks crackdown on food producers

The tainted-milk scandal has pushed authorities in Beijing to clamp down on the country's unethical food producers.

During a four-month campaign that kicks off in early December, Chinese law enforcement officers will raid meat, dairy and brewery producers to put a stop to illegal food production.

The tainted milk scandal emerged in September when melamine was discovered in powdered milk produced by Sanlu, one of China's dairy giants.

More than 20 Chinese dairy firms were subsequently found to have produced tainted milk which contain melamine, an industrial chemical normally used to make plastics but is banned in the food industry. 

Melamine can cause kidney stones. The chemical was added to milk by some Chinese producers because it can also fool quality checks that measure protein levels.


A child who suffered from kidney stones receives medical treatment at a hospital in Hefei, Anhui Province September 15, 2008. [Agencies]