Businesses must become ethical entities

A young colleague of mine finds her anger rising while covering the latest developments in the baby formula scandal, which now involves 22 producers. She keeps asking, "Where are the ethics in the bottom line?"

Three babies have died and some 6,200 more are suffering from kidney stones after taking low-priced Sanlu and 21 other brands of infant formula. The parents believed they had selected the best product they could afford to supplement mother's milk.

Even today, advertisements for Sanlu claim that it is "state of the art" and meets the standards of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. According to the ads, the producers meet babies' "needs for special nutrients" by selecting "excellent quality milk" and adding "multiple nutrients essential for infants' growth".