Chinese company recalls tainted baby formula

BEIJING: A major Chinese dairy has recalled 700 tons of tainted baby formula after infants who drank it suffered kidney stones and one died, a government newspaper and an investor in the dairy said Friday.

The announcement this week of an investigation into the milk powder fueled new worries about Chinese product safety following a spate of injuries and deaths blamed on tainted toothpaste and other goods.

Sanlu Group Co. said tests found the formula was contaminated with melamine, a chemical used in plastics, the China Daily newspaper said. People who answered the phone at Sanlu said managers were in meetings and unavailable to comment.
Fonterra, a New Zealand dairy cooperative that owns 43 percent of Sanlu, said it was advised the company had a quality issue in its products as a result of receiving defective milk in China.''

The company ``has advised us that they have recalled product in China and have put new milk quality testing procedures in place,'' Fonterra said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press. The statement gave no details of the recall, but China Daily said it involved 700 tons of milk powder.

Authorities launched an investigation this week after 14 babies who drank the formula developed kidney stones and one died, state media reported.

The case adds to a string of safety incidents in China over tainted toothpaste, toys, seafood and other products that have been blamed for deaths and injuries.

Melamine is the chemical involved in a massive pet food recall last year. It is not supposed to be added to any food ingredients, but suppliers in China sometimes mix it into make food appear to be high in protein. Melamine is nitrogen rich, and standard tests for protein in bulk food ingredients measure levels of nitrogen.

In Washington, the US Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to avoid infant formula from China. Authorities said Chinese formula was not legally approved for importation into the United States but might be sold at ethnic grocery stores.

``We're concerned that there may be some infant formula that may have gotten into the United States illegally and may be on the ethnic market,'' said Janice Oliver, deputy director of the FDA's food safety program.

Sanlu, based in Shijiazhuang, a city southwest of Beijing, is China's biggest producer of milk powder, with 18 per cent of the market, according to government data. The company says it produces 6,800 tons of milk per day.

In 2004, more than 200 Chinese infants suffered malnutrition and at least 12 died after being fed phony formula that contained no nutrients. Some 40 companies were found to be making phony formula and 47 people were arrested.