China: 53,000 infants ill from tainted milk

Soul Sequence · 09-22-2008, 06:36 AM

China: 53,000 infants ill from tainted milk
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapc...ilk/index.html
Story Highlights
NEW: Four infants in China dead, 53,000 reported ill from tainted milk powder

Hong Kong girl, 3, first case outside mainland China, released from hospital

Nestle says none of its products in China is made from milk with melamine

Hong Kong government says melamine found in Chinese-made Nestle milk powder

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- As the number of Chinese infants reported sickened by tainted milk increased to 53,000, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called manufacturers "heartless" and promised stricter laws to protect the public.

China's Health Ministry said Sunday that about 13,000 children were hospitalized, while another 40,000 had undergone outpatient treatment for illnesses related to suspected melamine-tainted milk products.

At least four children have died.

The latest statistics from mainland China come after Hong Kong reported that a 3-year-old girl has been sickened by a suspected melamine-tainted milk product -- the first known illness outside of mainland China.

The Chinese premier visited Beijing hospitals and a supermarket Sunday to show his concern for the crisis.

"What we need to do now is to ensure that nothing like this happens in the future, not only in dairy products, but in all foods," he said. "Manufacturers and owners of dairy companies should show more morality and social responsibility in these cases. They are heartless, so we have to create strict law and legislation. I'm sorry."

Chinese investigators have arrested at least 18 people in connection with the tainted milk case.

Investigators arrested two brothers who sold milk used to produce the contaminated baby milk powder last week. They could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper.

The raw milk had been watered down and the chemical added to fool quality checks, the newspaper said. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. Watch CNN visit the company at the center of the scandal »

Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

Thousands of tons of the tainted milk powder have been recalled.

Melamine is the same industrial contaminant from China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats last year.

The chemical, a byproduct of plastic manufacturing, can be used to mimic high-protein additives. Learn more about the chemical melamine »

The child in Hong Kong was diagnosed with a kidney stone at Princess Margaret Hospital, the government reported, citing a hospital statement. Although tests are still ongoing, her illness is suspected to be linked to consuming milk products containing melamine, the hospital statement said.

The child has been released, and her condition will be monitored, it said.

Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said Sunday it had received no new confirmed reports of kidney disease related to consuming milk products tainted with melamine.

Officials said a dozen people, ages 1 to 17, were undergoing tests to determine whether they had ingested bad milk products, and a hotline for inquiries had received 195 calls by Sunday evening.

Included in that number were 10 males and six females -- ages 4 to 55 -- who described symptoms of possible kidney problems, including difficult or painful urination and changes in the frequency of urination, officials said.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Center for Food Safety announced Sunday that a sample of Nestle Dairy Farm Pure Milk, sold in one-liter packs for catering use only, had tested positive for melamine. But the Swiss company said in a news release it is "confident" none of its milk products made in China contains the chemical.

The officials asked that retail sales of the milk for catering be halted, and that Nestle recall the product.

"The level of melamine detected in the Nestle sample was 1.4 ppm (parts per million), which the center believed is low. However, small children should not consume the product," the center said.

The other 64 samples were free from the toxic substance, according to the Hong Kong government Web site.

In a news release on its Web site, Nestle did not address the report regarding its Dairy Farm Pure Milk, but it disputed press reports that -- according to Nestle -- said melamine was found in its powdered toddler milk formula, NESLAC Gold 1+, designed for children ages 1 to 3.

"Following press reports in Hong Kong earlier today claiming that traces of melamine had been found in a Nestle growing up milk, Nestle is confident that none of its products in China is made from milk adulterated with melamine," the company said.

"The Hong Kong Government's Food and Environmental Health Department has just released a report declaring that NESLAC Gold 1+, which was mentioned in the media reports, is safe and that no melamine was detected in the product," Nestle said.

The company, based in Vevey, Switzerland, said NESLAC Gold 1+ also was tested by at least two government-approved, independent laboratories, and none of them detected melamine in the mixture.

"Over 70 different tests are routinely conducted in the course of producing infant formula and other milk products," Nestle said. "In fact, the Chinese authorities have issued official certificates for all tested Nestli products stating that no melamine has been detected in any of them."

Nestle noted that "melamine is found throughout the food chain across the world in minute traces which do not represent any health risk for consumers." It noted that a 3-year-old would have to consume over 40 liters of milk that contained 2 ppm of melamine to exceed internationally recognized safety limits, which vary by country.

The Chinese State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said the amount of the chemical found in the milk would not cause ill effects in adults who drank less than two liters a day.

Avid · 09-22-2008, 08:05 AM

This is a truly horrendous story, as having had kidney stones myself the pain is worse than childbirth.

09-22-2008, 06:36 AM	#1
Soul Sequence Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Windsor, Ontario Posts: 175	China: 53,000 infants ill from tainted milk China: 53,000 infants ill from tainted milk http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapc...ilk/index.html Story Highlights NEW: Four infants in China dead, 53,000 reported ill from tainted milk powder Hong Kong girl, 3, first case outside mainland China, released from hospital Nestle says none of its products in China is made from milk with melamine Hong Kong government says melamine found in Chinese-made Nestle milk powder BEIJING, China (CNN) -- As the number of Chinese infants reported sickened by tainted milk increased to 53,000, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called manufacturers "heartless" and promised stricter laws to protect the public. China's Health Ministry said Sunday that about 13,000 children were hospitalized, while another 40,000 had undergone outpatient treatment for illnesses related to suspected melamine-tainted milk products. At least four children have died. The latest statistics from mainland China come after Hong Kong reported that a 3-year-old girl has been sickened by a suspected melamine-tainted milk product -- the first known illness outside of mainland China. The Chinese premier visited Beijing hospitals and a supermarket Sunday to show his concern for the crisis. "What we need to do now is to ensure that nothing like this happens in the future, not only in dairy products, but in all foods," he said. "Manufacturers and owners of dairy companies should show more morality and social responsibility in these cases. They are heartless, so we have to create strict law and legislation. I'm sorry." Chinese investigators have arrested at least 18 people in connection with the tainted milk case. Investigators arrested two brothers who sold milk used to produce the contaminated baby milk powder last week. They could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. The raw milk had been watered down and the chemical added to fool quality checks, the newspaper said. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. Watch CNN visit the company at the center of the scandal » Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition. Thousands of tons of the tainted milk powder have been recalled. Melamine is the same industrial contaminant from China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats last year. The chemical, a byproduct of plastic manufacturing, can be used to mimic high-protein additives. Learn more about the chemical melamine » The child in Hong Kong was diagnosed with a kidney stone at Princess Margaret Hospital, the government reported, citing a hospital statement. Although tests are still ongoing, her illness is suspected to be linked to consuming milk products containing melamine, the hospital statement said. The child has been released, and her condition will be monitored, it said. Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said Sunday it had received no new confirmed reports of kidney disease related to consuming milk products tainted with melamine. Officials said a dozen people, ages 1 to 17, were undergoing tests to determine whether they had ingested bad milk products, and a hotline for inquiries had received 195 calls by Sunday evening. Included in that number were 10 males and six females -- ages 4 to 55 -- who described symptoms of possible kidney problems, including difficult or painful urination and changes in the frequency of urination, officials said. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Center for Food Safety announced Sunday that a sample of Nestle Dairy Farm Pure Milk, sold in one-liter packs for catering use only, had tested positive for melamine. But the Swiss company said in a news release it is "confident" none of its milk products made in China contains the chemical. The officials asked that retail sales of the milk for catering be halted, and that Nestle recall the product. "The level of melamine detected in the Nestle sample was 1.4 ppm (parts per million), which the center believed is low. However, small children should not consume the product," the center said. The other 64 samples were free from the toxic substance, according to the Hong Kong government Web site. In a news release on its Web site, Nestle did not address the report regarding its Dairy Farm Pure Milk, but it disputed press reports that -- according to Nestle -- said melamine was found in its powdered toddler milk formula, NESLAC Gold 1+, designed for children ages 1 to 3. "Following press reports in Hong Kong earlier today claiming that traces of melamine had been found in a Nestle growing up milk, Nestle is confident that none of its products in China is made from milk adulterated with melamine," the company said. "The Hong Kong Government's Food and Environmental Health Department has just released a report declaring that NESLAC Gold 1+, which was mentioned in the media reports, is safe and that no melamine was detected in the product," Nestle said. The company, based in Vevey, Switzerland, said NESLAC Gold 1+ also was tested by at least two government-approved, independent laboratories, and none of them detected melamine in the mixture. "Over 70 different tests are routinely conducted in the course of producing infant formula and other milk products," Nestle said. "In fact, the Chinese authorities have issued official certificates for all tested Nestli products stating that no melamine has been detected in any of them." Nestle noted that "melamine is found throughout the food chain across the world in minute traces which do not represent any health risk for consumers." It noted that a 3-year-old would have to consume over 40 liters of milk that contained 2 ppm of melamine to exceed internationally recognized safety limits, which vary by country. The Chinese State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said the amount of the chemical found in the milk would not cause ill effects in adults who drank less than two liters a day.

09-22-2008, 08:05 AM	#2
Avid Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: UK Posts: 660	Re: China: 53,000 infants ill from tainted milk This is a truly horrendous story, as having had kidney stones myself the pain is worse than childbirth.