Cross-Straits talks to cover food safety

Food safety has been put high on the agenda of the second round of talks between the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) scheduled for late October, following contaminated baby formula from the mainland being found on sale in Taiwan, a Taiwan affairs spokesman said yesterday.

Twenty-five tons of powdered milk sold by Hebei province-based Sanlu Group to Taiwan in June were found contaminated with melamine, State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Li Weiyi said at a press conference.

Since Sept 12, Sanlu has recalled all of its baby formula products found to contain melamine, a chemical that makes milk appear rich in protein and that led to infants who took Sanlu's milk powder to develop kidney stones.