China: Toxic Milk Sickens 53,000
September 22nd, 2008The number is probably understated by an order of magnitude, or two.
Via: AFP:
China’s tainted milk scandal spiralled into uncharted territory Monday as authorities said nearly 53,000 children had been sickened and more countries moved to ban or recall Chinese dairy imports.
In a dramatic update of previous figures, the health ministry said a total of 52,857 children were taken to hospital after drinking milk thought to have been contaminated by the industrial chemical melamine.
Most had “basically recovered” but 12,892 of them remained in hospital, a health ministry official told AFP.
Joining a clutch of other countries, Taiwan said it was banning all Chinese milk products with immediate notice, regardless of brand, because of consumer concerns.
“There is no timeframe for the ban,” said Wang Chih-chao, an official with the Department of Health, but said milk products already on the shelves after passing safety tests would not be removed.
Meanwhile retailers in Hong Kong said they were pulling more milk products off their shelves after samples tested positive for melamine.
Melamine, normally used in making plastics, was first found in infant milk formula in Chinese markets but has since been detected in a range of products with dairy ingredients both in China and abroad.
The discovery, the latest in a series of scandals to tarnish the reputation of Chinese products, has led to mass recalls and a Chinese government campaign to tighten quality inspections across the dairy sector.
Three children have died and 104 are still in serious condition, the health ministry said, with symptoms including kidney stones.
A fourth child was also reported dead by authorities in Xinjiang province but has not been added to the national figure.
The scandal stems from the practice of adding melamine to watered-down milk to give it the appearance of higher protein levels.
