Tainted Milk

From: http://chao-vietnam.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Vietnam Finds Melamine-Contaminated Chinese Milk

Tests conducted in Ho Chi Minh City show the presence of melamine in samples taken from milk imported from YiLi Industrial Group, one of three Chinese companies found to have melamine in their milk products.

Local importer Kim An Company in HCMC’s Phu Nhuan District said results from examinations done by an affiliate of the city’s Department of Science and Technology revealed a melamine concentration of 25.34 micrograms per liter.

However, no regulations have been established in Vietnam that pronounce at what concentration level melamine would be poisonous for consumption.

Kim An Company also said it has recalled all the YiLi milk it had distributed. However, 321 tins of one-liter milk had already been sold. The company reportedly imported 1,494 cartons of milk (one carton contains 12 tins) from YiLi Industrial Group.

The HCMC Health Department said Tuesday it had confiscated 1,081 cartons from the company and also seized 3,375 kilograms of milk powder lacking required documents being transported on a truck belonging to Duc Long Hang Co., Ltd. in District 10.

An inspection in Hanoi Tuesday of Hoang Lam Trading and Technology JSC found 25 tons of cream imported from China lacking quality certification.

The inspectors requested the company present documents today on 42 tons of milk powder imported from China last year without quality guarantees.

Deputy Minister of Health Cao Minh Quang Tuesday set up two inspection forces to probe production and trading of dairy products in northern and southern provinces.

In related news, Sanlu Group – the Chinese dairy firm first found to be selling melamine-contaminated goods – allegedly began receiving complaints of sick children as early as last December, AFP quoted Chinese media CCTV as saying.

The media source also said local officials in the northern city of Shijiazhuang, where Sanlu is based, delayed referring the matter to higher authorities for more than a month after Sanlu informed them of the problem on August 2.

There have been no reports of formula being affected so far. It's our understanding that Henry and the other babies in the orphanage are on a brand of formula that is manufactured right in Vietnam.