Melamine Contamination - Khong Guan and Khian Guan biscuits

Just as the melamine contamination in dairy products first started in infant milk powder seemed to have blown over with no more infant deaths (Thank God) and only 5824 children remained hospitalised in China (11,000 were reported a week ago), the Malaysian Health Ministry reported of another melamine contamination discovered today. This time, it is much closer to home.

According to the Star newspaper today, melamine above safety limit was detected in 18 types of biscuits manufactured by Khong Guan and Khian Guan. The level of contamination is reported to be 33.4ppm and 508ppm for Khong Guan and Khian Guan respectively. The permissible level is only 2.5ppm. This round, the source of melamine is not in the dairy raw materials such as milk but found in the raising agent which is ammonium bicarbonate that was imported from CHINA (do I sound surprised??).

With this recent news of contamination, we could expect a possibility of more dairy products being tested positive since the contaminated ammonium bicarbonate could be used by many other biscuits manufacturers. So, the question remains unanswered. "What is safe for consumption?" "What else would be contaminated?".

Since we are so dependent on raw materials from China (believed to be much more cost economical for most manufacturers), it is therefore questionable as to what other raw materials imported could be contaminated, probably not with melamine but some other cancer causing agent for example.

If we can't even give Malaysian made biscuits to our children, what else can we give them?

Here is a list of biscuits reported with excessive melamine content from Khong Guan:-

• Biskut Soda
• Biskut Lemon Puff
• Biskut Lemon Pof
• Biskut Butter Cream
• Biskut baby Fish
• Biskut Healthy Cracker (not sure how healthy it would be now?)
• Biskut Cocoa Puf
• Biskut Sandwich Oren
• Biskut Family Crackers (yeah right. Family total contamination)
• Biskut Bentuk Binatang (Binatang is the word to describe those who use excessive melamine to make extra profit. Binatang meant `animal' or `beast' in Malay)
• Biskut Rokok (a cigarette biscuit? Meant for children? Are we sending the wrong message here?)
• Biskut Mini Puff

Here is a list of biscuits reported with excessive melamine content from Khian Guan:-

• Biskut Creamy Chocolate
• Biskut Lemon Puff
• Biskut Square Puff
• Biskut Cocoa Puff
• Biskut Jagung Puff

Meanwhile, White Rabbit is hitting the stores again as their new stock have been reportedly cleared of any melamine contamination in China. It was reported on Wednesday that Guan Sheng Yuan Group general manager announced that the new candies would carry a label that reads `No Melamine' to restore consumers confidence in the 50-year-old brand.

Yeah right. And those contaminated should carry a label that reads `Poisonous. Eat at your own risk. Ideal for suicide.'

Before too long, each product would require a label so long that lists down a list of poisons that we should not used in the first place. `No melamine, no cancer causing agent, no formaldehyde. no etc no etc....'. Now, that's comforting...

Melamine found in Taro biscuits from Bai Rong

Malaysia's Health Ministry has ordered that the Taro brand of biscuits from Bai Rong be withdrawn from shelves with immediate effect after they have found melamine contamination. I have not seen this brand of biscuits before as I am personally not very fond of biscuits or chocolates. Will walk around some to see whether we can still find them on our shelves.

Meanwhile, in Manila, it was reported in the Star today that health ministers from the 10-member Asean have agreed that the melamine "should not be added deliberately in food, even at the minutest amount". As far as I am concerned, no health hazardous substance should be added in our food at all, although I know that this will remain elusive as our society evolves and with more and more businesses striving to make more money.

I have lost loved ones and many close friends to cancer of every kind in the last couple of years. I am still hearing `so and so' is having cancer or `so and so' had passed on. Some of these people are non-smokers and non-drinkers and yet they are struck down with liver cancer or lung cancer. So, how on earth, were their bodies contaminated? The polluted air that they breathe in? The food that they have been consuming (with melamine or other cancer causing agent)? The water that they drink? Being a father, how can I protect Ryan from this in the future. What pre-cautionary measures can I take now? Or do we leave all this to chance and luck? I am one confused father.....

White Rabbit's Melamine contamination 54 times over permitted limit

The Star reported today that the Malaysian Health Ministry has tested samples of White Rabbit Creamy Candy and found them contaminated with melamine. The shocking discovery is that the contamination is 54 times above the permitted level.

They found that the melamine content was 135 parts per million (ppm) while the permitted level by the Health Ministry is only 2.5ppm. If this is not contamination, I really don't know what is.

Therefore it is sufficed to say that if we consumed one piece of contaminated white rabbit, the amount of melamine that we consumed in that one piece is equavalent to consuming 54 pieces at one go!

So, for those who have been popping 2 or 3 of these candies a day in the past, you are actually consuming melamine contamination level equivalent to eating 108 to 162 ppm a day!

We all read about the contamination of White Rabbit but I would never imagine the shocking level of contamination found. To think that this candy have received such an acceptance worldwide and the number of stores that carries them, and the number of people and children who have consumed them unknowingly worldwide is mind boggling. I just can not imagine how many thousands if not millions would still be consuming this `Candy of Sweet Poison' if the melamine contamination was not detected in infant milk powder.

Tainted Milk - Safe List from Malaysia Ministry of Health

From going through the circular as issued by the Malaysia Ministry of Health dated 28th September 2008, they have declared 994 products from 35 companies as `safe'. You can find this list as updated by them in their website here:

http://www.moh.gov.my/MohPortal/newsFull.jsp?action=load&id=353. They have indicated that they have given the approved list based on warranties given by manufacturers as well as testings conducted on samples. As indicated in their website, as at 28th September 2008, they have tested and cleared a total of 26 samples, which means that the remaining 968 products declared as `safe' are based on the assurance and warranties given by the respective manufacturers that the raw materials were not sourced from China.

Bookmark this website to learn of new products being cleared as `Safe'.

Meanwhile their 'Lampiran 3' which is supposed to highlight the products tested only shows 13 products to-date. There are listed as :-

1. Chocolate Coated Wafer (Passion)
2. Oreo White Chocolate Wafer Stick (Kraft)
3. Mini Cornetto Chocomint & Tiramisu Flavoured (Wall’s)
4. Moo Soft Cookie Sandwich (Wall’s)
5. Susu Tepung 123 Honey (Dutch Lady)
6. Susu Berperisa Strawberry (Dutch Lady)
7. Susu Tepung Rumusan Bayi (Frisolac)
8. Mini Poppers Vanilla Flavoured (WALL’S)
9. Mini Poppers Strawberry Flavoured (WALL’S)
10. Honey Stars (Nestle)
11. Drumstick Minis Chocolate (Nestle)
12. Drumstick Minis Vanilla (Nestle)
13. Soft Cookies Sandwich (WALL’S)

So what Is SAFE??

It was reported the Yahoo News on the 26th September 2008 (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080926/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_tainted_milk) that baby cereal from Heinz and Silang House steamed potato wasabi crackers were also found to be contaminated by the Hong Kong authorities. As a precautionary measure, Heinz have issued a recall of the affected product. Meanwhile, it was also reported that Marudai Food Co, in Japan has already pulled back it's products including cream buns, meat buns and creamed corn crepes from supermarkets. Macau, too have reported to have detected melamine contamination at 24 times the safety limit in Koala March's cookies, made by Lotte China Food Co.

On the 29th Sept 2008, it was reported that Cadbury, the British chocolate maker, was ordering a recall of it's Chinese-made products after saying that tests "cast doubts" on their safety. Two other US food makers have also started their investigations on Indonesian claims that high traces of melamine had been found in China-made Oreos, M&Ms and Snickers, but they stressed that the same goods had been tested negative in other Asian countries. By the way, Kraft Foods Malaysia has declared that their entire Oreo range including Oreo Wafer Sticks does not contain milk ingredients sourced from China while Mars Malaysia have also declared that "we are confident that none of our chocolate or confectionery products made in China (Snickers and M&Ms) include any dairy ingredients adulterated with melamine - and they remain safe for consumption."

Cadbury is said to have recalled 11 chocolate products made at the Beijing's factory distributed in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia. Kraft Foods Inc and Mars Inc meanwhile, said that they would adhere to a recall order of Oreo wafers, M&Ms and Snickers in Indonesia, but insisted that they wanted to conduct their own tests with outside experts. As a precaution, Hong Kong supermarket chain ParknShop was also reported to have pulled Chinese-made Oreo, M&M and Snickers off their shelves.

We, in Malaysia, have been a list of products declared as "Safe" over the last couple of days. I am personally uncertain as to whether, all the products were actually tested by the Ministry or were they declared safe based on the assurance given by the respective manufacturers. As of now, I will try to stay off dairy products as much as we possibly can and make sure that Ryan is on breast milk as much as he can until we have more positive news that the worst is over. But seriously, how would we, a small normal consumer, would ever know?????

10000 more down as a result of tainted milk

It was reported by Reuters that as many as 10,000 more additional cases of children who have developed kidney illnesses after consuming tainted milk (as reported by the The Star 27th September 2008). If this true, we are looking at a total figure of close to 64,000 babies or children becoming victims to the greed of a few man wanting to make a few dollars more. No additional deaths have been reported (four reported so far), and the WHO representative in China said that effective medical help made many more deaths unlikely. I certainly hope that they are right although I'm doubtful given the high number of children reportedly affected, the duration of which the scandal had been allowed to continue (closed to 8 months after the tainted milk incident was discovered) and the manner of which the truth has been reported so far.

It was reported that much of the additional 10000 cases were detected in Hebei, the northern province where Sanlu Dairy group is based. There were also no reports so far from China's big commercial hub such as Shanghai but the state media said that many infants may have been affected. We are likely to see more victims and possibly deaths not only from China but probably other countries where the tainted milk powder have been exported to and consumed.

In Hong Kong, a fifth child, a 10 year old boy was reported to be found suffering kidney problems related to drinking tainted milk.

List of Safe Dairy Products in Malaysia

The following products were declared safe by the Malaysian Government as reported by The STAR on the 24th and 25th September 2008

Company : MEAD JOHNSON
Enfalac A+;Enfalac Routine Infant Formula;Enfapro A+;Enfapro Routnine Follow Up Formula;Enfagrow A+ Vanilla;Enfagrow A+ Original;Enfagrow A+ Honey;Enfakid A+ Original;Enfakid A+ Honey;Sustagen Junior Honey;Sustagen Junior Vanilla;Sustagen Junior Chocolate;Sustagen Kid Honey;Sustagen Kid Vanilla;Sustagen Kid Chocolate;Sustagen School Honey;Sustagen School Vanilla;Sustagen School Chocolate;Enfamama A+ Chocolate;Enfamama A+ Vanilla;Enfalac A+ AR;Enfalac A+ HA;Prosobee;Enfalac LF;Enfalac A+ Premature Powder

Company: DUMEX
Bebelac EC;Bebelac FL;Bebelac Kid Step 3;Bebelac Kid Step 4;Bebelac Step 1;Bebelac Step 2;Dugro 1 Plus;Dugro 3 Plus;Dugro 6 Plus;Dulac Infant Formula;Dupro Follow Up Formula;Mamex Gold Step 1;Mamex Gold Step 2;Mamex LF;Mamil Gold Step 3;Mamil Gold Step 4;Mamil Mama
Nutrakids Cereals

Company: NESTLE
Cap Junjung sweetened beverage creamer;Cappuccino Topping;Carnation Evaporated Creamer;Coffeemate;Coffeemate Lite;Coulis De Tomato tomato sauce;Everyday Instant filled milk powder;Favorita range of products;Honey Stars breakfast cereal;Ideal Full Cream Evaporate Milk;Kit Kat range of products;Lactogen 1 with DHA;Lactogen 2 with DHA;Lactogen 3 Nan 2;Maggi fixes and Maggi soup containing milk;Mat Kool range of products;Milo Balls/Milo BFC;Milo range of products;Nan 2 with Probiotics;Nan 3;Nan HA Alcalese;Nan HA1;Nan HA2;Nescafe 3 in 1;Nescafe Body Partners;Nescafe Cappuccino ;Nescafe Latte;Nescafe Mocha Freeze;Nescafe range of can drink products;Neslac 1+ Honey;Neslac 1+ Original;Neslac 3+ Honey;Neslac 3+ Original;Nespray 1+ Honey;Nespray 1+ Original;Nespray 3+ Honey;Nespray 3+ Original;Nespray 5+ ;Nespray Cergas;Nespray Instant;Nespray UHT;Nesquik UHT;Nestle Bliss Zero;Nestle Cereals (Premium infant cereals);Nestle Complete Mashed Potato;Nestle Crunch;Nestle Dairy Sterilised Reduced Cream;Nestle Drumstick range of products;Nestle Fat Yogurt Drink;Nestle Full Cream Milk;Nestle KFC desert orange sherbert;Nestle Low Fat Milk;Nestle Milky Bar and Crunch;Nestle Nan 1;Nestle Natural Yogurt;Nestle Omega Acticol;Nestle Omega Plus Everyday Instant Filled Milk Powder;Nestle Omega UHT;Nestle Original Lime/Vanilla;Nestle Potong read bean;Nestle Prebio 1 (infant cereals with milk);Nestle Prebio 2 Rusk Banana;Nestle Prebio 2 Rusk Original;Nestle Premium Fruit;Nestle Pre-nan;Nestle range of ice cream;Nestle Sundae cup KFC Vanilla;Nestle Sundae Cup Vanilla;Nestle Tea-Time Creamer;Nestle Teh Tarik;Nestle Tropicana Lime/Vanilla;Nestle Yogurt Drinks;Nestomalt;Nesturm Cereals 3 in 1;Nesturm Sarapan Berkhasiat;Nesvita 3 in 1;Nesvita Hi Cal UHT;Nesvita High Cal Non Fat;Nesvita UHT;Nesvita with Actifibras;Nutren 1.0 Vanilla;Nutren 1.0 with Fiber Vanilla;Nutren Diabetes;Nutren Junior Vanilla;Nutren Optimum;Peptamen Junior;Peptamen Vanilla;Purell Mashed Potato Granules with skim milk;Whole Water Soluble Milo; Yoco range;Yogurt

Company: FONTERRA BRAND
Anchor butter;Anchor Colby Cheddar blend shread;Anchor cream cheese;Anchor culinary cream (UHT);Anchor full cream milk powder;Anchor mozzarella cheese;Anchor processed cheddar cheese;Anchor whipping cream (UHT);Anlene Concentrate UHT;Anlene Gold Milk Powder;Anlene Regular milk Powder (Plain/chocolate);Anlene Yogurt;Anmum growing up milk powder 1+;Anmum growing up milk powder 3+;Anmum Infacare followup formula;Anmum Infacare Infant Formula;Anmum Lacta Milk Powder;Anmum Materna Milk powder;Chesdale slice cheese;Fernleaf Calciyum yogurt;Fernleaf full cream milk powder;Fernleaf growing up milk powder 1+;Fernleaf growing up milk powder 3+;Fernleaf Instant Milk Powder;Fernleaf Kuat milk powder

Company: MAMEE
Nutrigen Cultured Milk;Nutrigen IQ3 Cultured Milk;Nutrigen Liteyo Stirred Yogurt;Nutrigen Liteyo Yogurt Drink

Company: DUTCH LADY
Completa Evaporated Milk;Dutch Lady 0% Fat Drinking Yoghurt range of products;Dutch Lady 2;Dutch Lady Full Cream Milk Powder (plain);Dutch Lady Growing Up Milk 123 range of products;Dutch Lady Growing Up Milk 456 range of products;Dutch Lady Iced Latte range of products;Dutch Lady Instant Filled Milk Powder range of products;Dutch Lady Langkah 1&2 range of products;Dutch Lady Low Fat Eating Yoghurt range of products;Dutch lady Sterilised Milk range of products;Dutch Lady UHT Milk range of Products;Frisco range of products;Frisolac 1 Gold;Frisolac 2 Gold;Frisolac Comfort;Joy Fruit Juice range of Products;Shine 0% Fat Cup Yoghurt range of products;Sweetened Creamer range of products;Yes! Grape;Yes! Orange;Yes! Strawberry;Yes! Tutti Frutti

Company: ACE CANNING
Drinho Rose Bandung;Dutch Mill;Nugrow

Company: MAESTRO SWISS FOOD
Darry's;Vico;Vochelle

Company: WYETH MALAYSIA
Enercal Plus;Nursoy;Progress;Progress Gold;Promil;Promil Gold;Promise;Promise Gold;S26;S26 Gold;S26 HMF;S26 LBW;SMA;Wyeth Mama

Company: MALAYSIA MILK SDN BHD/CORTA ENTREPRISE SDN BHD
Marigold Cream Yogurt;Marigold evaporated creamer;Marigold evaporated filled milk;Marigold HL Milk;Marigold Pasturised Milk;Marigold Sweetened condensed filled milk;Marigold sweetened creamer;Marigold sweetened creamer (From Singapore);Marigold UHT Milk;Marigold Yogurt Drink;Vitagen Collagen cultured milk drink;Vitagen cultured milk drink

Company: GLAXOSMITHKLINE
Horlicks 3 in 1;Horlicks Instant cereal drink;Horlicks Malt Food Drink;Horlicks Malties

Company: ABBOT LABORATORIES
Alimentum ;Ensure Glucerna;Gain Kid Advance EYEQ;Gain Kid EYEQ Advance Shield (NEW);Gain Plus Advance EYEQ;Gain Plus EYEQ Advance Shield (NEW);Grow 3+;Grow 6+;Isomil + Advance EYEQ;Isomil Advance EYEQ;Pediasure;Pediasure Complete;Prosure;Similac Advance EYEQ;Similac Advance EYEQ with Iron;Similac Advance Shield (NEW);Similac Gain Advance EYEQ;Similac Gain Advance Shield (NEW);Similac LF;Similac Neosure\

Company: YAKULT (MALAYSIA)
Yakult Ace

Tainted Milk - Cover up since December 2007

It was reported that Sanlu Group, the dairy firm first found to be selling melamine contaminated milk powder that sparks off a world wide panic on Chinese exported dairy products, knew or were aware of the problem as early as December 2007 when they received complaints of sick children. It was also reported that 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 finally told them about the problem on the 2nd August 2008.

The company did not act, conducted test or recall any of the products between December 2007 to 2nd August 2008 and during the eight months, have continue to allow their contaminated products to be distributed and further consumed by thousands if not millions of innocent babies.

If the problem was reported and acted upon immediately upon discovery, the damage and effects would be probably be less devastating. However, reporting an immediate problem does not seemed to be China's strength. In fact, when it is reported or when their government seemed to be aggressively reacting, often times, the problem would have already `exploded' beyond cover up. SARS vividly brings back similar sad memories of how the government has tried to cover up the problem until the problem became an international health issue and many innocent lives were sacrificed.

I can't imagine what else is still being covered up or dressed up from within. I am just waiting for the next `explosion' and only God knows what it will be. I wonder how many more lives will be affected or lost by the next cover up................

4 reported cases from tainted milk in Hong Kong

The Star reported today that Hong Kong authorities reported yesterday that two more children had fallen ill in the city with kidney stones after drinking Chinese dairy products. Hence the total number of cases reported is now four.

We have yet to hear cases reported in other countries where the milk powder has been exported to like Bangladesh, Myanmar, Africa and Taiwan. And I'm quite certain the number of cases will not stop at 53,000 in China as more parents are bringing their children into hospitals for test and treatment. Only God knows what is the actual number of affected babies as a result of pure human greed.

White Rabbit Candy - Second Time Around

The Singapore's AVA was reported to have found traces of melamine contamination in the While Rabbit Candy 2 days ago and have issued a ban and recall of this product. Following Singapore's discovery, our government has issued a similar directive. But what is interesting to me was the fact that this is not the first time that the White Rabbit Candy was caught in the limelight. An article by the Star Online dated 30th July 2007, reported that the Malaysian government has already instructed stricter checks (especially in Sabah) on this brand of candy after reports in the Philippines that samples were tainted with formaldehyde, a preservative and embalming chemical that can cause cancer. However, AP reported that China has resumed shipments of candy to the Philippines after tests by the Chinese government showed the chemical was not present in the product.
According to Shanghai-based candy manufacturer Guan Shen Yuan Company, distributors in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong had performed their own tests and found the confection to be formaldehyde-free. One year later, I guess all these governments would have to ban the same product that is now tainted with melamine. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/7/30/nation/18433637&sec=nation.

Malaysia was reported to be imported a total of RM58bil worth of goods from China in 2006 and is the third largest buyer of China-made products. Given the current melamine contamination scandal and the list of products banned by many other countries due to various contamination, this is definitely not welcoming news for a normal consumer in this country. The question is, can we live without any China-made products in our lives?

Is this safe?

The Star Online reported today that the Malaysian government has widened it's ban on dairy products imported from China to include confectionery that include milk, chocolate, chocolate milk, white chocolate and other foods that contain milk. This decision was apparently made following the discovery by Singapore's AVA that the `White Rabbit Creamy Candy' imported from China was found to be contaminated by melamine.

Out of curiosity, I was browsing through a supermarket to see whether are there any dairy products or confectionery products manufactured in China that are still on our shelves. I came across this bar of Skittles Candies (shown in picture) that cost me Rm1.49. A closer check revealed that this candy was manufactured by Mars Foods (China) Co Ltd. Made In China. Although there is no specific mention of milk or dairy related ingredient (as understood by a man on the street like me), the question is therefore, is this bar of candy safe for my child? Are there any other similar products in the market today? Honestly, I don't know but I am totally agreeable to ban all such related products from China.

In fact, I'm curious as to how our government safeguards the consumers against imported products to ensure that these products are safe and free from any contamination, or unsafe additives. Whenever we pick up a can of imported luncheon meat, corn beef, a packet of imported sausages, or a can of pickled vegetables or a bottle of imported oyster sauce, how can we be sure that they are safe? Or we would never know until someone somewhere falls seriously ill before we start banning such products. Are we therefore passive and reactive instead of pro-actively ensuring that all imported food products undergo stringent tests before they are allowed into the country? I wonder.............

Tainted Milk - Tip of an Iceberg

As I predicted, the damage of the recent tainted milk scandal in China has spread like uncontrollable wild fire. Japan Today reported that the Chinese Health authorities have reported over 39,000 cases reported as treated and recovered while another 13,000 infants are still hospitalised. Yahoo News reported today that over 13,000 infants were taken ill and 80% of the those affected were under 2 years old. http://www.japantoday.com/category/world/view/health-officials-say-50000-sickened-by-tainted-milk-in-china

Contaminated products now extend beyond just baby milk powder. More contamination were reported found in regular milk (reported by Star World 19/9/08) while it was reported that Hong Kong authorities have found melamine contamination in drinks, ice-creams and yogurt made by Yili, one of the big brands that was selling the contaminated milk on the mainland. It was also reported that Hong Kong's two main supermarket chains were recalling milk powder made by Swiss manufacturer Nestle after a newspaper reported it contains melamine. It's a case of better be sorry than wrong.

As the damage spreads, countries including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan and Brunei have been reported to either ban or recall all China imported dairy products. The first case of kidney stone as a result of drinking melamine tainted milk was also reported in Hong Kong over the weekend to a 3 year old girl. Meanwhile Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has also issued a warning that White Rabbit Creamy Bar, a popular Chinese brand of sweet milk was also found contaminated with melamine. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080922/wl_nm/china_milk_dc_5. It was reported in the Star World news on the 20th September 2008 that Singapore's AVA have also found traces of melamine in their Dutch Lady-brand strawberry milk manufactured in China.

Taiwanese company King Car Co. was reported to have announced recalling packs of it's Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk powder imported from China.

Fonterra, the New Zealand based multinational company and world largest exporter of dairy products who owns a miniority 43% shares of the scandal related Sanlu in China, assures consumers in Malaysia that their products which include Annum, Fernleaf, Anlene, Chesdale and Anchor are 100% safe. It claims that all it's dairy products in Malaysia have been using only imported milk from New Zealand.

Although Malaysia has assured that we do not import any dairy products from China and have banned the import of such products, I'm not sure whether the government could control the entry of such products via other `means'. There are many greedy businessmen out there who would `go all out' to earn an extra dollar and Chinese products with their low cost would certainly looked attractive. In fact, during one of my conversation with one of the retailers, he was taken aback and told me that While Rabbit Creamy Bar was found to be contaminated. He claimed that he apparently have carried such stock in his store before although he doesn't have any of them now. Well, although this claim could not be vouched, but there is a real risk that such products could have entered the country unknown to our government.

It was reported in the Star World news today (22/09/08) that more than 40 tonnes of Chinese-imported food products has been recalled in South Korea since 2006 because they contained inedible and harmful substances. It was reported by Yonhap news agency that 40.6 tonnes of imports had been discarded as bacteria, carcinogens (any substance that is any agent directly involved in the promotion of cancer) and other banned additives were found in them. Their food safety regulators reports Chinese-imported cookies and cakes were last year found repeatedly to contain cancer-causing substances like cyclamate nitrofuran. 13 tonnes of Chinese-imported snacks were also reported recalled earlier this year.

It's shocking. For now, I am checking the manufacturing and packaging country of all the products that I'm picking up from the shelves and anything that distinctly looks like there are being from China would definitely remain on the shelves and not my home.

Tainted Milk Reported found in Australia!

The Australian Online newspaper reported on the 17th Sept that they have found melamine contamination in 69 brands of baby milk powder nationwide, including an Australian-China joint venture, Torador Dairy Industry, (one of the 22 companies reported with tainted product) located in northern Tianjian. http://article.wn.com/view/2008/09/16/Australian_venture_in_baby_milk_scandal/

Meanwhile, the MiamiHerald.com reported that the Chinese government is acknowledging that up to 10,000 babies could have consumed the tainted milk powder. http://www.miamiherald.com/business/international/story/687844.html

The circle of damage is certainly widening!

Made In China, Imported from Hell

Tainted milk in China claimed the 4th victim yesterday. As the government finally cracks down on the baby milk production companies, they have found nearly 70 milk products tainted from 20 companies. Out of 175 companies, at least 66 have been reported to have stop production. What is even more alarming is that their largest production company, Mengniu has also been tested positive while another large company found positive is Yili. Although most claimed that the tainted milk powder were marketed and distributed domestically, these companies are known to export their product to several other countries such as Taiwan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Chad, Burundi and even Hong Kong. I'm not sure whether any of the products were exported to Malaysia although I remembered reading it in the papers that one of the companies do. Our ministry has assured us that none of the tainted products were imported but then again, who do we trust anymore. In fact, what product and whose product should we trust now? The world is in a crisis. In fact, it was reported that Hong Kong has ordered for a recall when melamine was found in ice cream bar made by Shanghai Yili AB Foods. So, we are talking of a much wider impact as the test and search has expanded to include and indicate contamination of food other than milk powder.

If any of the exports did include the tainted milk powder, the impact and damage is going to be much more widespread and what we are seeing in China is probably the tip of an iceberg.

China has been outrageous and not new to all these scandals. This is the second reported scandal involving baby milk powder. It was reported in 2004 that 13 infants in eastern China's Anhui province died of nutritional deficiencies after being fed sub-standard milk powder and over 170 infants fell sick in what the Chinese press said involved pirated Sanlu products.

Melamine was also reported to have tainted pet food in US (again reportedly imported from China) in 2007 resulting in a high number of death among cats and dogs. The investigation conducted raise the alarm of the possibility of melamine contamination not only in pet feed but also all animal feed as well as the human food supply. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_protein_export_contamination.

So, what do we buy from China? Or rather, what do we dare to buy from China anymore? If you pick up a can of luncheon meat with the Made from China label despite being 50% cheaper as compared to other imported brands, do you buy? If we don't buy, and opt for the imported brands, they are so much more expensive and burn an even bigger hole in our home budget deficit. So, what can we do?

For me, we will stick with home manufactured good old breast milk as much as we possibly can for Ryan. And we will try cooking more vegetables and rely less on canned and preserved food for now.

Nothing good comes out from China!!

6244 babies sick and 3 died from tainted milk powder in China!! How outrageous! I just can't imagine the length that some people will go just to earn an extra dollar. Just because for the extra profit, many more innocent young lives are now on the line. Looking at the pictures of these pitiful faces, my heart aches and cried out for justice. I do not even want to begin to think what if the child laying in the hospital undergoing emergency treatment is mine. I can truly feel what the parents must be feeling....anxiety, fear, pain and above all anger.

China again hogs international limelight. I'm watching astro even as I typed this post, and they are showing videos of the number of parents with their babies packing hospitals seeking treatment. It seemed that nothing good and honest will ever come out from China. To mask their watered-down milk to make it appear higher in protein, these heartless `businessmen' added melamine, a banned chemical used in plastics. It was reported that infants who have consumed these tainted milk powder between 3 to 6 months have developed acute kidney failure. More news here : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_china_baby_formula_recall;_ylt=ArmdX5PhKCkBc1wiCwB.zmuaK8MA

My search on melamine and what it is used for is shocking. Melamine is apparently invented in 1830's. Composed of nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon, melamine is a material used to make plastics and laminates. When combined with formaldehyde and at extreme heat, melamine will form a moldable material that once cooled off, will hardened and is virtually UNBREAKABLE and is dishwasher safe. Although not toxic to the body, it will quickly creates kidney stones and renal failure once consumed. I shivered at the thought of these foreign materials being consumed on a daily basis by babies whose fragile and tiny bodies are yearning for nutrient to grow.

I pray that the poor affected babies will recover and that the affected parents will be given strength to go throught this very difficult times. I pray that the culprits be bought to justice. For now, I don't think I will place too much trust in anything made in China (not that I have all these years).