Melamine Tainted Dairy Product from China - how serious is the problem from where you are?

Hi All,

i am sure most of you are aware of the Melamine tainted milk crisis in China that killed many babies.. however the problem looks like it is not just contained to infant formulas..

in my country, the government is recalling many products in the shelves of our hypermarts...first it was some candies, now most of the biscuits that we ate are suspected to be melamine tainted..

since many of china's produce is exported to many parts of the world, i think this issue is slowing building up to be a global famine ?? i think..

source :
Biscuits recall


" MUAR: The Johor Health Department has directed the Khong Guan biscuit company in Senai to recall 12 types of biscuits which had been tested last week and found to contain high levels of melamine.

State Women, Family, Welfare and Health Committee chairman Dr Robia Kosai said the biscuit varieties are Biskut Soda, Biskut Lemon Puff, Biskut Pof, Biskut Butter Cream, Biskut Baby Fish, Biskut Health Cracker, Biskut Cocoa Puff, Biskut Sandwich Oren, Biskut Family Crackers, Biskut Bentuk Binatang, Biskut Rokok and Biskut Mini Puff.

These were the same 12 types of biscuits Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai had announced on Oct 16 to have contained excessive amounts of melamine from the raising agent ammonium bicarbonate imported from China and used to produce the biscuits.

“We had seized 107 metric tonnes of the products, valued at about RM561,000, from the factory on Oct 14,” she said here yesterday.

Dr Robia said a survey showed most Khong Guan biscuits were distributed to shops and mini-markets.

She also urged the public to report to the nearest Health Department offices if they spotted the products on sale."

Second batch of Chinese eggs in Hong Kong tainted

Malaysian News


Melamine scandal started in China with 3600 infant death drinking from melamine tainted formulae

"Melamine was recently detected in Chinese dairy products blamed for sickening 54,000 children and linked to the deaths of four infants. More than 3,600 children remain sick, health officials say. "

just some background to this $h%T that happened, apparently the manufacturer of the infant formula have received complained from consumer that their product make infant sick, they did nothing for approximately 7 months from December 2007 till June 2008 and then all hell brooke loose on the 30th June 2008 when they received reports of 5 infants death

Melamine Crisis - Chronology of event

A chronology of events in the tainted baby formula scandal that has
been blamed for the deaths of four infants and for sickening nearly
53,000 others in China:

• December 2007: Sanlu Group Co. receives complaints from consumers
that its infant formula was sickening babies, according to state
broadcaster China Central Television, citing findings from a State
Council investigation.

• June 2008: Sanlu learns its milk powder is contaminated with
melamine, CCTV says.

• June 30: China's product quality watchdog receives a complaint that
five infants at the Hunan province children's hospital have kidney
stones and were all fed Sanlu brand milk powder, according to data on
the Web site of China's food safety watchdog that has since been
removed.

• July 24: A pediatrician tells the watchdog he has seen nine cases of
kidney stones in infants, all of whom drank Sanlu formula. The
unidentified doctor expresses concern over the milk powder, according
to data on the watchdog Web site that has since been removed.

• Aug. 2: Sanlu alerts the government of Shijiazhuang, the northern
Chinese city where the company is based, that its infant formula is
tainted, according to CCTV. At a Sanlu board meeting, New Zealand
dairy farmers' group Fonterra, a major investor in the company, learns
about complaints of sick babies and urges an immediate recall.

• Aug. 6: Sanlu pulls baby milk powder from distributors, but does not
do a public recall.

• Aug. 8: The Beijing Olympics open and run until Aug. 24.

• Sept. 5: Fonterra informs New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark
about the issue. Three days later, Clark orders New Zealand officials
to inform officials in Beijing.

• Sept. 9: Shijiazhuang city officials inform Hebei provincial
officials. A day later, Hebei provincial officials contact the central
government.

• Sept. 11: Sanlu publicly recalls 700 tons of baby formula.
Government vows "serious punishment" for those responsible. Xinhua
reports dozens of babies have kidney stones and one baby has died.

• Sept. 13: Vice Health Minister Gao Qiang says 432 babies fed Sanlu
formula have developed kidney stones. Gao blames Sanlu for delays in
warning the public and launches an inspection of all Chinese formula
companies. Hebei's vice governor says authorities have seized 2,176
tons of Sanlu formula and recalled 8,218 tons.

• Sept. 15: Number of sickened children rises to more than 1,200, with
two deaths. China's quality watchdog says contamination occurred
mainly at farms, which sell raw milk to dairy companies. Sanlu's vice
president apologizes, but does not explain the delay in informing the
public.

• Sept. 16: A nationwide inspection of 109 Chinese baby milk powder
companies uncovers 22 with traces of melamine. Sanlu General Manager
Tian Wenhua is fired and dismissed from board of directors, state
media reports.

• Sept. 17: China's two largest dairies, Mengniu Dairy Co. and Yili
Industrial Group Co., recall baby formula. Health minister says three
babies have died and more than 6,200 others have been sickened. China
deploys 5,000 inspectors to companies producing baby milk.

• Sept. 18: Authorities arrest 12 more people, bringing total detained
to 18. Police confiscate 660 pounds of suspected chemicals.

• Sept. 19: Crisis widens after government tests find melamine in
liquid milk produced by three of China's leading dairies.



[edit on 29-10-2008 by affeyee]

continue...

Sept. 21: Health ministry reports the number of sickened children
soars to nearly 53,000, with 12,892 hospitalized and 104 in serious
condition. The Chinese territory of Hong Kong reports the first known
illness outside mainland China, a 3-year-old girl who developed kidney
stones after drinking Chinese dairy products.

• Sept. 22: The head of China's product quality watchdog agency
resigns.

Since you seem well-informed about this Melamine poisoning maybe you can you answer this... I know Melamine has been found in the milk powder found in several things made in China.

What I am wondering is if you know of any instances of products being made in other countires which used milk powder imported from China. In other words, if I buy something made here at home, or in Italy, could they have imported and used the tainted milk powder? Or is it only in products that have been manufactured in China?

And I have a another question... is it only in that milk powder? I thought I read something about eggs (which does not make sense), but don't quote me on that. I don;t want to start a rumor or give disinfo.

I can't believe I am even having to ask these questions.

Originally posted by GetOutOfMyRabbitHole
Since you seem well-informed about this Melamine poisoning maybe you can you answer this... I know Melamine has been found in the milk powder found in several things made in China.

What I am wondering is if you know of any instances of products being made in other countires which used milk powder imported from China. In other words, if I buy something made here at home, or in Italy, could they have imported and used the tainted milk powder? Or is it only in products that have been manufactured in China?

okie, i will try to answer you to the best of my knowledge from where i am living, we eat alotsa biscuits that is made by traditional brand like Khong Guan biscuits which i believe HQ in Singapore, they have a production plant here in Southern State of Johor in Malaysia. while the product and other ingredient is not from china, their raising agent ammonium bicarbonate is imported from china which contained excessive amount of melamine.
Malaysian News

if you google Khong Guan biscuits, you will see their corporate website listed the first, go to the website and check it out and see if any of the product is familiar to your countries ? please note that i am not accusing nor saying that all of their product is tainted, what we see here is that a producer of any food product might have 1 or more of their raw ingredient imported from China, which they might not know it is tainted with melamine which in this case is their raising agent imported from china.

it might happen to any other food producer all around the world who imports raw ingredient for their end product from china.

the easiest containment is probably to reject all produce directly from china. the hardest containment is food that is not produce directly from china but might have raw material from china.

So yes, it is possible. Lovely. This is why I read labels and like farmer's markets.

But I am glad for your sake they caught it and pulled the stuff from the shelves. The story about the babies in China is so sad.

Anger over China milk scandal

As thousands of babies fall ill after drinking formula milk made from contaminated powder, people in China describe their concern and anger at the revelations.

BBC News 17th Sept

it is claimed that 22 brand of infant formula in china is said to be contaminated.

some facts about melamine (need some bio-chemist to verify this though)

Melamine - added to foodstuffs can cause serious health problems to children...

Melamine - a chemical proven fatal when added to foodstuffs:

A melamine-resin plateMelamine resin or melamine formaldehyde (also shortened to melamine) is a hard, thermosetting plastic material made from melamine and formaldehyde by polymerization. This plastic is often used in kitchen utensils and plates (such as Melmac) and is the main constituent of high-pressure laminates, such as Formica and Arborite, and of laminate flooring. Melamine-resin tile wall panels can also be used as whiteboards. Melamine resin often is used to saturate decorative papers that are directly laminated onto particle board; the resulting panel is often called melamine and commonly used in ready-to-assemble furniture and inexpensive kitchen cabinets.

A melamine-resin ladleA special form of melamine resin is melamine foam, used mainly as an insulating and soundproofing material and more recently as a cleaning abrasive.

Melamine resin utensils and bowls are not microwave safe, as they absorb the microwave radiation and heat up. As with all thermosetting materials, melamine resin cannot be melted and, therefore, cannot be recycled.

This is the chemical that has been added to foodstuffs and milk products in China. Some food products and childrens sweets have been found in a number of countries in recent times.

Four children have died and well over 40,000, perhaps over 50,000 children have become extremely ill through ingesting this product. Many children have developed kidney stones over an unknown period.

It appears that milk had been watered down and the melamine chemical was added to bring the milk product back up to an acceptable but false reading.

A health notice has been issued by food safety officials in New Zealand warning parents not to let their children consume Chinese made 'White Rabbit Creamy Candies', because they contain an acceptably high levels of melamine.

Melamine may cause health problems such as kidney stones; and the NZ health authorities have warned parents to seek medical advice if they are aware that their children have consumed these and similar products.

source : wn.goldenprose.com.../2277

Here in Vancouver there is a HUGE Chinese population and I know they've pulled hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of product off the shelves. I would bet there are more products that are tainted though it's just a matter of finding them.

No word here as to any illnesses related yet. It's such a terrible thing mostly the little one's suffering the brunt of it, while the business people argue and complain about lost revenue.

Originally posted by GetOutOfMyRabbitHole
And I have a another question... is it only in that milk powder? I thought I read something about eggs (which does not make sense), but don't quote me on that. I don;t want to start a rumor or give disinfo.

I can't believe I am even having to ask these questions.

hehehe it is post in this same thread, yup! you din't read it wrong, apparently egg is tainted with melamine, to be honest, i wonder how the h$LL they can do that. but like i said in china anything is possible. i will try to dig out old pictures on how some unethical businessman in china can produce fake prickled bamboo shoot out of WOODEN CHOPSTICK.

Hong Kong had recalled 2 batch of eggs that is tainted with melamine..beats me man..i really don't have an answer to how they can do it. one possibility is that they fed melamine tainted food to the chickens!

Example of how fake edible product is made and serve in China

this is one example how fake bamboo shoot is made and serve to customer in China.. now please do not go yelling at your local chinese restaurant that they are doing this especially outside of china (most probably you are outside of china)

after it is cut into half, it is ready to be process





soak in wine



add sugar



add flavouring

add soda bicarbonate


add soya sauce


boil in hot water

once ready, store chopstick in jar with gravy


store in storage and keep it until chopstick absorbed all the gravy


this is how it looks like (very dangerous, you can't differentiate real and fake)

and they stir fried it with meat and serve to customers!!


here you go! wooden chopstick --> bamboo shoot!

please don't bombard me and think that i am know how to do this, i don't know, i merely translate the description with the picture that i got from forwarded emails from friends warning us not to eat bamboo shoot made in china.

That is SO weird!
One time, I was eating ramen noodles and I looked at the green seasoning(you know the stuff in the brown powder) and it was like cut-up green, easter grass!
IT LOOKED like actual plastic. I don't buy them, now.

yup,

wait till you see how they use drinking straws and make it like fried shallots