Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Another milk poison scare for China

Chinese authorities have had another poison milk scare, two years after the country recalled liquid and powder milk samples that tested positive with melamine.

Authorities said they discovered excessive levels of a cancer-causing toxin in milk produced by one of the nation's leading dairy companies, Mengniu Dairy Group.

The government's quality watchdog found high levels of an aflatoxin, which is caused by mould, in the comoany's product.

But the milk company said the contaminated milk never reached the marketas its product was tested before being sold.

Milk was at the centre of China's biggest food safety scandal in 2008 when the industrial chemical melamine was found to have been illegally added to dairy products to give the appearance of higher protein content.

At least six babies died and another 300,000 people became ill after drinking milk tainted with melamine.

The company also created controversy in 2009, when China's quality supervision department questioned Mengniu products that contained an ingredient the company called Osteoblast Milk Protein (OMP).

Mengniu Dairy has stopped using OMP since the government inquiry.
Source:
ABC Radio Australia News

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