Powdered Milk Scare

China’s tainted milk scare has reached global proportions and warnings and recalls on other products have skyrocketed. What started with the tragic deaths of four Chinese babies from contaminated milk products has turned into a world wide health crisis. More than 50,000 Chinese children have been diagnosed with illnesses, including kidney stones, related to the ingestion of powered milk that was laced with melamine. In China, powdered milk used to make baby formula was found several weeks ago to contain melamine. It is a toxic substance used to make plastics and fertilizer. At first, the contaminated products were believed to originate with one company, the Sanlu Group Co., a large company that is owned in part by Fonterra, an international dairy corporation based in New Zealand. As the crisis worsened with more and more children becoming very sick, Chinese authorities announced that the tainting scandal may include food stuffs from as many as 22 additional Chinese companies.

The Chinese powdered milk scare already has expanded throughout Asia, parts of Europe and Canada. But the number and variety of food items that have been tagged as tainted with the substance has gone far beyond powdered milk.

Just recently the Food and Drug Administration recommended that consumers avoid a line of coffees and a candy made in China found to be containing melamine also. Here is a list of products that have been identified by the FDA and by the watch groups of other countries who are reacting to this latest importing debacle.

The FDA issued a statement about Mr. Brown brand instant coffee from China, recommending that consumers avoid this type of coffee and tea milk from the same company. The exporter has put a ban on further exports from the manufacturer.
The FDA also warned consumers not to eat White Rabbit Candy made in China as it contains melamine.
In South Korea, the government banned the importation of all Chinese products containing milk after Me Sarang Custard cookies made in China were found to be tainted with melamine.
Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety found trace amounts of melamine in Four Seas Cake (strawberry flavor) made in China. Retailers and importers are recalling most products made with milk.
Canada has also recalled and banned further importing of Mr. Brown coffee.
Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority recalled other Chinese-made food that had tested positive for melamine, including Dutch Lady-brand banana and honeydew flavored milk, Silang-brand potato crackers, and two kinds of puffed rice balls.

So far the FDA says it has received no reports of any illnesses in the U.S. linked to melamine laced edible products made in China. But the FDA was quick to follow Canada’s lead who had four days earlier issued a recall for Mr. Brown coffee. FDA spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek responding to questions about the scare said, "The FDA is still in the process of determining how wide-spread the distribution is of Mr. Brown products in the United States. ... The FDA is stopping every shipment of White Rabbit Candies and Mr. Brown coffee products at the ports and testing them." The FDA also reported it has launched an investigation to determine if the tainted baby formula is in the U.S. "This effort focused on areas of the country with large Chinese communities, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and New York," the agency said. "To date, investigators have visited more than 1,400 retail markets and have not found Chinese infant formula present on shelves in these markets." However, Caroline Smith DeWaal, the director of food safety at the Center for Science in Public Interest, said her group purchased a number of food items that contained Chinese milk in the Washington area.

Tony Corba who is the legislative representative for Food & Water Watch, a Washington based consumer advocacy group said "I think they're [The FDA] catching up to the rest of the world. “

Chinese authorities have now reported the arrest of more than 20 individuals apparently involved in a network connected with the manufacture and selling of melamine to food producers in China.