Chinese sure do love that melamine...

[Manedwolf]

This right after a widespread effort to stop Chinese honey from coming into the US in products because it's usually contaminated or contains banned antibiotics.

What is WRONG with the business culture there?

And why are we stlll importing tainted honey and fish grown in sewage-contaminated ponds from China?

China Investigates Tainted Milk Powder
By Stephanie Ho
Beijing
15 September 2008
   
China has arrested two brothers suspected of adding an industrial chemical to milk they sold to a company that produced infant formula. The tainted milk powder has killed two babies and sickened more than 1,200 others. Stephanie Ho reports from Beijing.

Hebei Province police spokesman Shi Guizhong announced the first two arrests on state television Monday. Shi says two brothers, surnamed Geng, were taken into custody on suspicion of producing toxic and hazardous foodstuffs.

The Geng brothers ran a milk collection center in Hebei Province that provided milk to the Hebei-based Sanlu Group to make into infant milk powder.

Official media reports say the Geng brothers had been selling three tons of contaminated milk per day to Sanlu since the end of last year. They are alleged to have put the banned industrial chemical melamine into the milk to make it appear to have a higher protein content.

Melamine was linked to deaths and illness of thousands of cats and dogs in the United States last year after it was added to pet food ingredients exported from China.

The world's biggest milk trader, New Zealand-based Fonterra, owns a 43-percent stake in Sanlu, which is China's largest milk powder producer.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark Monday said she had ordered her senior officials to directly inform senior officials in Beijing after it appeared the local officials were dragging their feet in ordering the recall.

Fonterra has said it urged Sanlu to recall the tainted product as early as six weeks ago, which was right before the start of the Olympics. Sanlu ordered the recall last Thursday.

Chinese officials have defended their response to the latest product safety disaster and blamed Sanlu Group for delays in warning the public.

Chinese officials have spread out across the country to inspect dairy companies and remove all substandard milk powder from the market. The contaminated infant formula has killed two babies and has caused more than 1,200 other infants to develop kidney stones.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-09-15-voa34.cfm

[Sindawe]

They are alleged to have put the banned industrial chemical melamine into the milk to make it appear to have a higher protein content.

Higher protein content = Higher profit

And why are we stlll importing tainted honey and fish grown in sewage-contaminated ponds from China?

Cheaper raw goods @ same price = Higher profit for the seller

[mfree]

The manufacturers love melamine just about as much as the government enjoys giving them high speed lead injections.

[French G.]

Fonterra has said it urged Sanlu to recall the tainted product as early as six weeks ago, which was right before the start of the Olympics. Sanlu ordered the recall last Thursday.

Nice, coincidental timeline.

[Firethorn]

The manufacturers love melamine just about as much as the government enjoys giving them high speed lead injections.

And, in cases like this, appropriate.

The death penalty in cases like this might get their attention, but I think the problem is also one of spread - the practice of using contaminated/substandard products is so widespread that you're about as likely to get hit for something like this as somebody is to get sued for sharing music in the USA.

[roo_ster]

My wife spent some time over there & thinks the culture is hardwired that way.

[Waitone]

The chinese government can not control the safety of foods and drugs and the US buyers of chinese food and drugs do not want to pay the price of safer products.

So the question is, "Why does the US allow the importation of dangerous food and drugs for sale in the US all the while prohibiting the sale of dangerous foods and drugs in the US by domestic companies?"

AT this point I don't care which one the government does.  I just want them to pick one and hold all parties to the standard regardless of what that standard is.

[Standing Wolf]

China has arrested two brothers suspected of adding an industrial chemical to milk they sold to a company that produced infant formula.

I suspect they're scapegoats. The fraud was most probably government-mandated or at least -allowed.

[Sergeant Bob]

Fonterra has said it urged Sanlu to recall the tainted product as early as six weeks ago, which was right before the start of the Olympics. Sanlu ordered the recall last Thursday.

So why didn't Fonterra blow the whistle?