Pre-Sept 14 dairy products ordered off shelves

All dairy products made before Sept 14 must be pulled off the shelves to be tested for melamine, a chemical blamed for killing four babies and sickening more than 54,000, according to a government notice made public yesterday.

"Regardless of the brand or the batch, all products made before that date must be taken off shelves and their sale must be stopped," said the notice jointly issued over the weekend by six central government departments including the Ministry of Health and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

The AQSIQ press office told China Daily yesterday the cut-off date was set for Sept 14 because the central government already requires every batch of dairy products made after that date to undergo melamine checks before entering the market.