Last Updated: Sunday, November 16, 2008

The Associated Press

The death toll in the melamine scandal may be higher than China’s government suggests based on a recent revelation that at least five more children died after drinking infant formula tainted with the industrial chemical.

One of the deaths that may be linked to the scandal occurred in Liti village in Henan province in central China’s wheat and corn flatlands.

Farmer Li Xiaoquan and his wife were the parents of baby twin girls, but tragedy struck just before dawn on Sept. 10 when one of the nine-month-old infants died of kidney failure.

The previous month, an ultrasound examination of baby Xiaokai’s kidneys at the Zhengzhou Children’s Hospital had found a stone in each kidney that was about the size of a small marble and two and a half times larger than what doctors consider a critical threshold.

Li’s family and doctors have never been able to confirm how she got sick.

But just a day after Xiaokai died, state media reported that the type of formula milk the infant used to drink had been tainted with melamine.

Xiaokai, older than her twin, Xiaoyan, by three minutes, was fed formula milk while the younger girl nursed on breast milk because their mother did not have enough for both, family members said.

Li said he first learned of the contamination scandal from a relative who watched the news on television.

Although the cause of his daughter’s death has not been confirmed, the grieving father puts the blame on the baby formula, which was produced by state-owned Sanlu, the diary at the centre of the contaminated milk scandal.

China’s Health Ministry said three infants died from drinking melamine-tainted milk and up to 50,000 were made ill.

Yet the deaths of Xiaokai and at least four other babies reported by the Associated Press have not been included in China’s official death toll, suggesting that the tainted milk scandal may have exacted a higher human toll than the government has acknowledged.



No close family members were there and apart from the four men, no one knows where the baby girl is buried.

Lotte USA Inc. says Friday that it initiated the recall on Sept. 29. The Michigan-based company says it’s not aware of any illnesses associated with the products.




Melamine is the industrial chemical blamed for killing four infants and sickening 54,000 children in China. It's used to make plastics and fertilizers.

By GILLIAN WONG, Associated Press WriterSun Oct 5, 10:43 AM ET

Hong Kong said Sunday it found two Cadbury chocolate products contained considerably more of the industrial chemical melamine than the city’s legal limit in a growing scandal over tainted food made in China.

Iran banned imports of all dairy products from China because of the contamination concerns, state radio reported.

In China, the food safety watchdog said no traces of the melamine were found in new tests of milk powder sold domestically, as officials sought to restore public trust in dairy products.

Baby formula containing melamine has been blamed for killing four infants and sickening more than 54,000 with kidney stones and other ailments in China.

Chinese authorities suspect suppliers trying to boost output diluted their milk, adding melamine because its nitrogen content can fool tests measuring protein content.

The scandal has sparked global concern about Chinese food imports and recalls in several countries of Chinese-made products including milk powders, cookies and candies.

Hong Kong’s food safety agency said samples of two chocolate products made by British candy maker Cadbury at its Beijing factory contained considerably more melamine than the city’s legal limit of 2.5 parts per million.

The two items were among 11 Chinese-made products that have already been recalled by Cadbury in parts of Asia and the Pacific.

Hong Kong’s Center for Food Safety said Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Hazelnut Chocolate Bulk Pack contained 56 parts per million of melamine, while Dairy Milk Cookies Chocolate contained 6.9 parts per million.

Calls to Cadbury offices in London and Asia Pacific went unanswered Sunday.

In Iran, the Health Ministry said the ban on imports of dairy products from China is in place until further notice, according to state radio. The ministry is assigning health workers to destroy suspect Chinese dairy products currently on the Iranian market.

China’s government has been struggling to contain the damage from widespread contamination of milk supplies, castigating local officials for negligence while promising to keep stores supplied with clean milk.

The latest tests of 129 batches of baby formula and 212 batches of other kinds of milk powder showed they were free from melamine contamination, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said on its Web site.

The tests were on baby formula and other kinds of milk powder produced after Sept. 14, when the scandal broke, the watchdog said. Quality supervisors have been stationed in baby milk powder production facilities to oversee the process.

The Agriculture Ministry said it is providing subsidies to Chinese dairy farmers badly hit by declining demand for milk. Many farmers have been tossing out raw milk as they are squeezed by feed costs they cannot recoup due to waning demand.

The ministry’s statement did not give details of the subsidy plan.

____

Associated Press reporters Dikky Sinn in Hong Kong and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran contributed to this report.

Lipton Milk Tea recall in some countries, found with melamine

Latest melamine-tainted product: Lipton powdered tea

Where did all the milk tea go?

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2008 – 08:04 AM

HONG KONG (AP) — Anglo-Dutch food giant Unilever said today it has started recalling some of its Lipton-brand milk tea powder in Hong Kong and Macau after they were found to contain traces of an industrial chemical.

The recall of four batches of Lipton’s 3-in-1 milk tea powder came after the company’s internal quality check found melamine in the products, Unilever Hong Kong Ltd. said in a statement.

The contaminated products used Chinese-made milk powder as raw material, said marketing director Sharon Hwang for Unilever Hong Kong. She declined to reveal which Chinese brand the company had used.

“In order to comply with local regulations and as a precautionary measure, we are recalling all packs produced … from Hong Kong and Macau markets,” the statement said.

Last week, Unilever has also removed Lipton Green Milk Tea from the Taiwan market because the product used Chinese-made milk.

Hong Kong’s Center for Food Safety also called on the public to avoid drinking the contaminated products and alerted all suppliers, importers and retailers to stop selling them. The agency did not find melamine in Lipton products so far.

Responding to the recall, two leading supermarket chains, Wellcome and PARKnSHOP, removed the four contaminated products from shelves.

Dozens of Chinese-made food products have been found to contain melamine, killing four babies and sickening more than 50,000 in mainland China.

The chemical was first detected in infant formula but has spread to dairy and other food products.

Chinese suppliers trying to boost output are believed to have diluted their milk while adding melamine because its nitrogen content can fool tests aimed at verifying protein content.

Health experts say ingesting a small amount of melamine poses no danger, but larger amounts of the chemical, used to make plastics and fertilizer, can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure. Infants are particularly vulnerable.

Unilever Hong Kong Ltd. is a subsidiary belonged to Unilever NV/PLC.

– The Associated Press

The Golden Kestrel Co Ltd ordered the recall after test results at two laboratories showed traces of melamine in the Regimen House cheese cracker sandwich, the company said on its website.

The result from one lab showed the cracker contained 29 parts per million (ppm) of melamine while the other test showed its melamine concentration is 17 ppm.

Taiwan’s permitted melamine concentration is 2.5 ppm.

Golden Kestrel claims that it imported 12,314 boxes of the Regimen House cheese cracker sandwich – two round biscuits stuck together by cheese filling – from Malaysia between April and July. They were sold at the Costco hypermarkets across Taiwan.

Golden Kestrel has removed the cheese cracker sandwiches from Costco, and has been asked to submit import papers and records of the sale of the biscuits to the Taipei City Government’s Department of Health.

Email this Story

Sep 27, 7:35 AM (ET)

By ELAINE KURTENBACH

(AP) A Philippine police officer carries packs of White Rabbit candies as it was ordered withdrawn aside…

SHANGHAI, China (AP) – Snackers, beware: Your favorite chocolate or creamy treats might contain milk contaminated with melamine.

The list of companies facing potential recalls grew Friday as reports of foods tainted with the industrial chemical melamine, which has been blamed in the deaths of four Chinese infants, spread to a widening range of products.

Food companies around the globe are rushing to assess their products and in some cases setting new strategies to prevent problems.

“We have to think about any processed food with milk or protein in it,” said James Rice, a food industry veteran who is now China country manager for Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN), the world’s largest meat processor.

(AP) Han Kwan-woo, an official of Korea Food and Drug Administration, shows packages of recalled… Full Image

While his company is not affected, for others “that includes biscuits, cake mix, energy bars, anything that should have protein in it,” he said.

Many food companies already were taking special precautions before Chinese milk suppliers were found to be adding melamine to watered-down milk to boost its apparent protein content. The chemical, which is high in nitrogen, can fool tests aimed at verifying protein levels. The compromised dairy products are blamed for sickening 54,000 children.

Some companies learned the need for extra diligence in China the hard way, during a spate of scandals last year from unsafe foods and toothpaste to melamine-laced ingredients in pet food.

But many continued to disregard the risks, said Jeremy Haft, a businessman who runs factories in China in a variety of industries, including medical products, clothing and building supplies.

“I don’t think much was learned from the recalls of a year ago,” said Haft, who has written of his experiences in a book, “All the Tea in China.”

Tokyo-headquartered Lotte Group, a major snack maker, got caught up in the storm Friday after its popular chocolate-filled Koala cookies were recalled in Hong Kong and Macau because of melamine contamination.

Packages of the cookies, still on sale in Shanghai, list whole milk powder as an ingredient.

“We will look deeply into all the details of the manufacturing process,” said Kayh Kim, manager of Lotte China Food’s planning department in Beijing. “We really don’t want to lose our customers’ confidence.”

In Tokyo, a company spokeswoman said Lotte products sold in Japan are not made with Chinese dairy ingredients.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai-based maker of White Rabbit, a popular vanilla-flavored toffee, said it stopped domestic sales after the Hong Kong government’s Center for Food Safety said the candy contained more than six times the legal limit of melamine.

That followed White Rabbit recalls in Britain, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.

When rumors of melamine-related recalls of Oreos and other sweets spread by phone text messages and on the Internet earlier this week, Kraft Foods Inc. (KFT) hastened to reassure customers that none of its Oreo-brand products contain milk powder from China.

Oreo fillings contain no milk, while Oreo cookies with icing on them use milk powder from Australia, it said. “Regardless of where they are produced, Kraft products are always held to the highest quality and safety standards,” the company said.

As they expand operations in China, targeting its potential market of 1.3 billion people, many foreign-brand food companies still rely heavily on local partners for quality control, experts say.

New Zealand’s dairy cooperative Fonterra discovered the implications when its local partner, Sanlu Group Co., failed to take quick action after Chinese doctors reported that babies drinking its infant formula were developing kidney stones.

“The problem was that Fonterra, right from the start, had no control over what was going on,” said Bruce McLaughlin, CEO of Sinogie Consulting in Shanghai, which conducts market research and investigations.

“The most important thing is that if you’re going to make an investment and have your name tied up with it, you have to have control over what’s going on,” McLaughlin said.

For some, that may mean going it alone.

Chocolate maker Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading producer of cocoa, chocolate and confectionary products, set up its own factory west of Shanghai earlier this year. The quality control staff report directly to the Swiss company’s CEO.

The factory is testing milk products from all local suppliers, setting aside any from domestic sources until it is confirmed safe, said Gaby Tschofen, the company’s vice president for corporate communications.

A decision by Japanese beer maker Asahi Breweries Ltd. to set up its own dairy farm in China is proving fortuitous: the company’s milk, which went on sale only this month, is selling fast amid the melamine scare.

Asahi Green Source Farm, a venture with fellow Japanese companies Itochu Corp. and Sumitomo Corp., is stocked with more than 1,000 dairy cows from Australia and New Zealand, said Chen Na, a marketing department staffer.

“We already realized the importance of the source of raw milk, since it’s easy for trouble to crop up in a booming market, and we have made every effort to control the manufacturing process for liquid milk production,” she said. “Better safe than sorry.”

—

Associated Press researcher Ji Chen contributed to this report.

(09-26) 17:35 PDT BEIJING, China (AP) –
The list of products caught in China’s tainted milk scandal grew Friday to include baby cereal in Hong Kong and snack foods in Japan, while Taiwan reported three children and a mother with kidney stones in the island’s first cases possibly linked to the crisis.

The Japanese government also said it had suspended imports of milk and milk products from China, where some 54,000 children have developed kidney stones or other illnesses after drinking baby formula contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine. Four deaths have been blamed on the tainted milk.

The latest problematic foods were Heinz baby cereal and Silang House steamed potato wasabi crackers. The Hong Kong government said in a statement Friday it found traces of melamine in the products, which were both made in mainland China.

Hong Kong urged the manufacturers to stop selling the products in the Chinese territory. Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Heinz ordered a recall of the baby cereal as a precautionary measure following the government’s announcement, it said in a statement on its Web site.

Hundreds of international food companies have set up operations in China in recent years, exposing them to the country’s notorious product safety problems. Melamine-tainted products have turned up in an increasing number of Chinese-made exports abroad – from candies to yogurt to rice balls.

In Japan, the Marudai Food Co. pulled its cream buns, meat buns and creamed corn crepes from supermarkets a week ago and tests have found traces of contamination in several products, Japanese Health and Welfare Ministry official Mina Kojima said Friday.

So far, there were no reports of health problems stemming from the contamination, she said. Marudai has sold more than 300,000 of the products, most of which are believed to have been consumed.

News of that contamination came after the Chinese territory of Macau said it detected melamine at 24 times the safety limit in products from another Japan-based company, Koala’s March cookies made by Lotte China Foods Co. The company is a member of a Tokyo-based conglomerate, Lotte Group.

An official at Lotte (China) Investment Co. Ltd. in Shanghai said Friday previous inspections had not shown any problems.

“But now that it tested positive in Macau, we find it necessary to do the inspections all over again,” said Guo Hongming, a legal assistant in Lotte Shanghai’s corporate planning department.

Some Hong Kong supermarkets pulled the chocolate-filled cookies off shelves Friday after the announcement by Macau authorities late Thursday. Cookie packages list whole milk powder as an ingredient.

Only some types of milk powder and milk have been recalled in mainland China so far, but the maker of one of China’s most popular candies said Friday it had halted sales because of suspected melamine contamination. White Rabbit candies have already been pulled from shelves around Asia and in Britain.

Ge Junjie, a vice president of Bright Foods (Group) Co. Ltd., was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency that the company was waiting for test results from the Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.

“We decided to halt all sales of White Rabbit candy, although the test results have not yet come out,” Ge said. Bright Foods’ subsidiary Guangshengyuan produces White Rabbit.

Meanwhile, Taiwanese authorities reported that three children who consumed Chinese milk formula had developed kidney stones, and doctors were checking whether their illnesses were linked to tainted products.

The two 3-year-old girls and a 1-year-old boy traveled frequently between Taiwan and China with their parents, said Liu Yi-lien, health chief of the Ilan county government in eastern Taiwan. One of the girls’ mothers also has kidney stones, he said.

“They have all consumed Chinese milk, but more tests are needed to establish the link to their kidney stones,” Liu said.

The cases are the first reports of illnesses on the island that could be related to tainted Chinese milk products. Six children have also become ill from melamine-tainted products in the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau.

Still, the World Health Organization said it did not expect the number of victims to grow dramatically.

WHO China representative Hans Troedsson said public awareness of the issue meant many young children were getting health checks and avoiding tainted products.

“I think we will see some more cases, but not the high number like so far,” he said. “I think the recall and more thorough investigation and testing are now starting to eliminate some of these contaminated products from coming out to the public.”

On Thursday, the European Union banned imports of baby food containing Chinese milk. The move by the 27-nation EU adds to the growing list of countries that have banned or recalled Chinese dairy products because of the contamination.

Health experts say ingesting a small amount of melamine poses no danger, but in larger doses, the chemical – used to make plastics and fertilizer – can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure. Infants are particularly vulnerable.

Chinese suppliers trying to cut costs are believed to have diluted their milk while adding melamine because its nitrogen content can fool tests aimed at verifying protein levels.

___

Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Dikky Sinn in Hong Kong and Annie Huang in Taipei contributed to this report.

This is a great time to try this!

..

This is what is happening to small children who have ingested melamine.
Who is responsible for this tragedy?

Sanlu, China’s biggest milk powder producer recalled 700 tons of milk powder after inspectors found the industrial contaminant, melamine in some of its packages.

China Photos / Getty

I will continue to update this as I learn more and find more information for you.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Melamine in Food Products Manufactured in China
* Printer-friendly version

News reports and the World Health Organization (WHO) state that tens of thousands of infants in China who consumed infant formula contaminated with melamine are suffering from urinary tract stones, kidney damage, and kidney failure. For more information visit the Food and Drug Administration website.
What is melamine?

Melamine is a synthetic chemical with a variety of industrial uses including the production of resins and foams, cleaning products, fertilizers and pesticides. It does not occur naturally in food.
Why is melamine dangerous in food?

Animal studies have demonstrated that exposure to low levels of melamine produced no observable toxic effects. Exposures to high levels of melamine, or exposures to lower doses of melamine together with certain other chemicals, have caused urinary tract problems in animals. These have included urinary tract and kidney crystal and stone formation, and kidney failure. Exposures of animals to high doses of melamine over long time periods (years) have been associated with cancer of the bladder.
Should I be worried about food products purchased or consumed in the United States?

The United States does not allow melamine to be used as a food ingredient. Most reports of melamine in food products and of health problems related to melamine in food products have centered in China. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working together with local, state, federal, and international agencies to ensure the safety of the American food supply including broadening its domestic and import sampling and testing of milk-derived ingredients and finished food products containing milk, such as candies, desserts, and beverages that could contain these ingredients from Chinese sources. As of October 6, 2008, FDA testing of milk- based products imported into the United States from China had found melamine contamination in only a few products (e.g., White Rabbit Creamy Candies and Mr. Brown’s coffee mixes). For current information on whether food products purchased in the U.S. might pose a concern about melamine, visit the Food and Drug Administration website.

Why are infants particularly affected?

Infants may be more affected than other people because formula is their primary food source and they therefore consume more melamine per unit of body weight than older children and adults who consume a variety of foods.
What should I do if I believe I or my child may already have been exposed to melamine, for example, during travel to China?

See a doctor right away if you or your infant has any of the following symptoms: stomach pain; vomiting; fever; irritability or excessive crying; blood, crystals, or particles in urine; painful urination; little or no urine; swelling of hands, feet, or face.
If I’m pregnant or breastfeeding and think I may have been exposed to melamine, would it be toxic to my baby?

If you are pregnant and have already ingested some of these listed products or you are breastfeeding while ingesting the listed products, discontinue their use. Effects on the unborn child are unknown. Melamine only stays in the body for a few days. The effects on the kidneys of the formula-fed infants in China are thought to result from continuous use of the products containing relatively high concentrations of melamine over many days.
Should my child or I be tested for melamine exposure?

Laboratory tests for melamine in blood serum and urine exist but are still investigational and not yet commercially available. Because many people are exposed to very small, nontoxic amounts of melamine from different sources in the environment and industry, detection of melamine in the body would not necessarily predict future illness.

How long does melamine stay in the body?

Scientists do not know exactly how long it takes the human body to eliminate melamine. Animal studies suggest that excretion is fairly rapid—for example, half of the total quantity of melamine consumed was eliminated in 4 hours in pigs and 3 hours in rats.

How should health care providers treat potential melamine exposures?

The most important action is to stop any ongoing exposure. Specific laboratory and imaging studies can be used based on the patient’s symptoms, for example to evaluate kidney function or urinary stones.

What is CDC’s advice for travelers to China?

Because of uncertainties related to dairy products in China at this time, CDC recommends that you do not consume any dairy products produced in China, including all brands of infant formula, milk or other drinks that contain milk products, food, such as yogurt or ice cream that could be milk-based or contain a large amount of milk or milk products. Many foods and drinks including candies, crackers, and desserts may contain milk or milk products. Ingredients on the food or drink label that suggest milk or milk products include milk, milk powder, whey, lactose, and casein. Additional advice for travelers is available in Travel Notice: Melamine in Chinese-Manufactured Infant Formula.

I do not understand why there is not more in the news about this.

Taiwan bans melamine-tainted additive ammonium bicarbonate from China
Taiwan News, Website Editorial Staff 2008-10-18 04:12 PM
+ Enlarge This image A Chinese worker checks ingredients in milk products in a lab of Yili Industrial Group Co., one of China’s largest dairy producers, in Hohhot, north China’s Inner Mongolia region, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008. Italy has discovered two containers of milk and one of yogurt containing melamine, the industrial chemical that contaminated milk powder in China and hospitalized thousands of babies, the Health Ministry said Thursday. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan) Associated Press + Enlarge This image Chinese workers operate product lines in a dairy factory of Mengniu Dairy Group Co., one of China’s largest dairy producers, in Hohhot, north China’s Inner Mongolia region, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008. China’s dairy giants are trying to revive their brands and win back consumer confidence, saying melamine contamination problems that have tarnished the industry won’t resurface. Nearly 6,000 Chinese babies remain hospitalized with kidney problems caused by contaminated milk powder, the Health Ministry said, while dairy executives tried Thursday to restore confidence in the discredited industry with pledges of higher standards. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan) Associated Press TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Department of Health (DOH) under the Executive Yuan announced today that the results of laboratory tests by local health bureaus found an abnormally high concentration of ammonium bicarbonate at 70 to 300ppm in food additives imported from China. The DOH immediately banned the import of food products containing ammonium bicarbonate from China, and ordered 12 counties and cities to pull all tainted products from shelves.Deputy Health Minister Cheng Shou-hsia (???) and Center for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) Director Steve Kuo (???) held a press conference today announcing that there is only one domestic chemical company importing contaminated additives from two of China-based chemical manufacturing companies in Hebei province and Fujian province. The DOH is currently tracking all the tainted products in the market, and pressing for a full public recall of all affected products. In the meantime, the DOH continues to update the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the ammonium bicarbonate threat. Cheng said that ammonium bicarbonate is a legal additive in Taiwan under the department’s Code of Food Additive Items Scope and Application Standards Limitations. He added that the reason why the DOH was able to find melamine in food additive was due to the recent melamine scare making several additives used as food ingredients highly questionable. As to the question of whether there is health concern eating over the counter food products with ammonium bicarbonate, Cheng said that ammonium bicarbonate is used in small amount as food additives, which should not pose health threat to the public. A random test has been conducted, and melamine was not found in over-the-counter food products with the additive of ammonium bicarbonate. Given that the melamine contamination has widened to affect not only milk powder and artificial non-dairy creamer, but also other types of good products and ingredients. Cheng held a cross-departmental meeting this afternoon, including the cabinet’s Consumer Protection Commission (CPC), the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Council of Agriculture, the Mainland Affairs Council, and the Ministry of Justice to come up with a plan in response to the increasing melamine-contaminated threat to appease consumer fears. Given that food contamination “epidemics” and diseases know no borders, the need for Taiwan to secure participation in the WHO for Taiwan’s 23 million people should be the prime consideration for both Taiwan citizens and the other member countries of the WHO given the principle of universality of the human right to adequate health care or “Health for All.” by Taiwan News, Website Editorial Staff

I love to go the Asian stores in my local area here in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I always buy certain candies that I love there so I was very concerned if my chewy candy and chocolates
were part of the banned foods. I did manage to find a list from Singapore, and Malaysia.

I have included a USA today article about candy sold here in America.

Chinese candy sold in U.S. has harmful chemical

By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
New Zealand says one of China’s most popular candies – a kind frequently sold at Asian markets in the United States – contains dangerous levels of the industrial chemical melamine.

In an extension of the broadening scandal in China over contaminated milk, testing by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority found 180 parts per million of melamine in White Rabbit Creamy Candies.

The agency’s website called the contamination “unacceptably high” and advises consumers to avoid the candy. Melamine levels were high enough to cause health problems, such as kidney stones, in some consumers, according to the agency.

That amount is about 1 milligram of melamine per candy, estimates Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University. “It’s not much, but it shouldn’t be there at all,” she says.

The candies are manufactured in Shanghai by Shanghai Guan Sheng Yuan Food.

News of the levels come as the scope of the milk adulteration scandal in China widened, with four infants dead from contaminated baby formula and at least another 53,000 sickened.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is sampling and testing White Rabbit Creamy Candies and other Chinese “milk-derived ingredients and finished food products containing milk,” such as candies, desserts and beverages, says spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek. No contaminated products have been found on U.S. store shelves, she says.

The candy, a chewy, milky taffy, comes in small cylinders about half the size of a AA battery, wrapped in a white waxed paper. The ingredients are corn starch syrup, cane sugar, butter and milk.

Candy from China makes up just 0.7% of the candy sold in the United States, says Susan Snyder Smith of the National Confectioners Association in Vienna, Va. No figures are available for how much White Rabbit Creamy Candy is sold here.

On Monday, 99 Ranch, a large Asian supermarket chain with 26 stores on the West Coast, removed White Rabbit candies from its shelves, says spokeswoman Jennifer Tsao. Other Asian markets across the United States have also pulled the candies.

Consumers exposed to tiny amounts of melamine shouldn’t worry, says Angelika Tritscher of the World Health Organization. “Melamine at low doses is actually not considered to be very toxic.”

Melamine or its IUPAC name 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine, is an organic base with chemical formula C3H6N6. Since it is only slightly soluble in water, when it is illegally used in milk industry, melamine will be dissolved in formaldehyde (carcinogenic/cancer causing) or other organic solvents before mixing into the milk!
Melamine is sometimes illegally added to food products in order to increase the apparent protein content. Standard tests such as the Kjeldahl and Dumas tests estimate protein levels by measuring the nitrogen content, so they can be misled by adding nitrogen-rich compounds such as melamine.

Although melamine by itself is nontoxic in low doses, but when combined with cyanuric acid (at times, present in drinking water) it can cause fatal kidney stones/urinary problems. Below is some references of the melamine tainted food. All these references are received via email and I am consolidating for the sharing purpose. I urge all the food authorities to work with WHO to compile and share a complete list of banned food or recalled melamine tainted products to protect the life of innocent consumers.

According to an email received, the following food are recalled from shelves in Singapore:
1 M&M
2 Snickers
3 Mento’s Yoghurt Bottle
4 Dove Chocolate
5 Oreo Wafer Sticks
6 Dutchlady Sterilised Milk
7 Wall’s all natural mango
8 Mini Poppers Ice Cream
9 Magnum Ice Cream
10 Moo Sandwich Ice Cream
11 Mini Cornetto
12 Youcan Ice Cream

A longer list that includes brands and descriptions of melamine tainted food products recalled provided by Food Technology Research Centre in MARDI, Malaysia:
1 BAIRONG GRAPE CREAM CRACKERS
2 DOVE H/NUT ALM & RAISIN CHOC
3 DOVE HAZELNUT CHOC
4 DOVE MILK CHOCOLATE
5 Dreyers Choc Cake Ice Cream 887ml
6 Dreyers Choc Cake Ice Cream 887ml
7 Dreyers Cookie & Cream Ice Cream 887ml
8 Dreyers Cookie & Cream Ice Cream 887ml
9 Dreyers Mint Chip Ice Cream 887ml
10 Dreyers Mint Chip Ice Cream 887ml
11 Dreyers Rocky Road Ice Cream 887ml
12 Dreyers Rocky Road Ice Cream 887ml
13 Dreyers Strawberry Ice Cream 887ml
14 Dreyers Strawberry Ice Cream 887ml
15 Dreyers Toast Almond Ice Cream 887ml
16 Dreyers Toast Almond Ice Cream 887ml
17 Dreyers Vanilla Ice Cream 887ml
18 Dreyers Vanilla Ice Cream 887ml
19 DUTCH LADY STER M LF BANANA
20 DUTCH LADY STER MK LF PLAIN
21 DUTCH LADY STER MK LF CHOC
22 DUTCH LADY STER MK LF SBERRY
23 DUTCH LADY STER M LF HNYDEW
24 DUTCH LADY STER M LF HNYDEW
25 DUTCH LADY STER MILK PLAIN
26 DUTCH LADY STER MK LF CHOC
27 DUTCH LADY STER MK LF SBERRY
28 DUTCH LADY STER M LF BANANA
29 FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM SESAME CRACKERS
30 FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM SALTINE CRACKERS
31 FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM S ONION CRACKERS
32 FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM SEAWEED CRACKERS
33 GINBIS PARTY ANIMAL BUTTER BISC
34 GINBIS PARTY ANIMAL SEAWEED BIS
35 GINBIS PARTY ANIMAL CNUT
36 GINBIS ANIMAL BISCUIT
37 Koala Cocoa Biscuit 40g
38 Koala Cocoa Biscuit 40g
39 KRAFT OREO WAFER STICKS 18S
40 KRAFT OREO WAFER STICKS 5S
41 KRAFT OREO W/STICK WH CHOC 18S
42 KRAFT OREO W/STICK WH CHOC 5S
43 Lotte Koala Cocoa Funpack 210g
44 Lotte Koala Cocoa Funpack 210g
45 M & M Chocolate Peanut 200g
46 M & M Chocolate Peanut 200g
47 M&M CHOC CANDIES PLAIN%
48 M&M CHOC CANDIES PEANUT%
49 M&M CHOC CANDIES-PLAIN
50 M&M CHOC CANDIES-PEANUTS
51 M&M FUNSIZE MILK
52 M&M FUNSIZE PEANUT
53 M&M Chocolate Candies Plain 200g
54 M&M Chocolate Candies Plain 200g
55 MEIJI UJIKINTOKI 2978
56 MEIJI UMAKABO CHOCOLATE
57 MEIJI FAMILY PACK-GREEN TEA
58 MEIJI CHESTNUT & REDBEAN
59 MENTOS BOTTLE YOGHURT PROMO PK
60 MENTOS BOTTLE YOGHURT
61 Monmilk BREAKFAST MILK MALT
62 Monmilk BREAKFAST MILK WALNUT 6S
63 Monmilk BREAKFAST MILKMALT 6S
64 Monmilk CHOCOLATE MILK 6S
65 Monmilk COFFEE MILK 6S
66 Monmilk HI CAL LOW FAT
67 Monmilk HI CAL LOW FAT MILK
68 Monmilk HI CAL LOW FAT MILK 6S
69 Monmilk HI CAL MILK
70 Monmilk HI CAL MILK 6S
71 Monmilk MILK DELUXE 12S
72 Monmilk PURE MILK
73 Monmilk PURE MILK
74 Monmilk PURE MILK 6S
75 MonmilkBREAKFAST MILK WALNUT
76 NABISCO IN A BISKIT CHICKEN
77 NESTLE NES D/STICK MINI VANILLA
78 NESTLE NES DISTICK MINI CHOCO
79 NESTLE MILK & BERRY STARS CRL
80 NO FRILLS WAFER BLUEBERRY
81 NO FRILLS WAFER CHOCOLATE
82 NO FRILLS WAFER PEANUT
83 Orion Fresh Pie 138g
84 Orion Fresh Pie 138g
85 Orion Tiramisu 138g
86 Orion Tiramisu 138g
87 PEI TIAN CREAM BISCUIT
88 Rabbit Milk Sweet 150g
89 SILANG NATURAL OAT CRACKER
90 Snicker Candies Funsize 240g
91 Snicker Candies Funsize 240g
92 SNICKERS PEANUT CHOCOLATE%
93 SNICKERS SNACKSIZE BARS PNUT 5
94 TAKE ONE BABY BITES 24S
95 TAKE ONE BABY BITE CK VG
96 TAKE ONE BABY BITE CARROT
97 Vitasoy Chocolate Drink 4s 125ml
98 Vitasoy Chocolate Drink 4s 125ml
99 Vitasoy Melon Soya Bean Milk 4s 125ml
100 Vitasoy Melon Soya Bean Milk 4s 125ml
101 Vitasoy Q Soya Milk 4s 125ml
102 Vitasoy Q Soya Milk 4s 125ml
103 WANT WANT MILK CANDY
104 Want Want Flavoured Milk 250ml
105 Yili Hi Cal Low Fat Milk 1L
106 Yili Hi Cal Low Fat Milk 6s 250ml
107 Yili Hi Cal Milk 1L
108 Yili Hi Cal Milk 6s 250ml
109 Yili Pure Milk 1L
110 Yili Pure Milk 6s 250ml
111 Youcan Masterbean Multipack
112 Youcan Passion Multipack
113 Youcan Silk Sliced and Passion Strawberry
114 Youcan Stawberry Multipack
115 Youcan Traditional Sesame Multipack 4s
116 Youcan Unusual Multipack 4s

To identify the save milk products including milk powder/beverages/milk added food listed by Malaysia Health Ministry, please refer here.

Some simple tips:
1. Check the label of the milk products. They shall includes food that contained milk in smaller quantity as well like beverages, yogurt, cheese, soya milk or cookies.
2. If you have doubt of the products like cake, bread or candy, stop eating or buying them. Better be save and sorry.
3. Read, check out and keep abreast with the latest news.
4. If possible, breast fed your baby.
5. Search for alternative protein or buy safe raw food e.g. tofu or meats and cook/eat at home.

FDA bans milk-flavoured candy from China

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered its offices in border provinces, ports and airports to temporarily ban the entry of milk-flavoured toffee from China, for fear that the candy may possibly contain melamine, according to FDA Secretary-General Chatree Banchuen.

Milk powder contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine has sickened more than 54,000 children in China, while nearly 13,000 infants have been admitted to hospital, 104 in serious condition with kidney stones and agonising complications. Four babies died.

Mr Chatree said some consumers had expressed worries that the popular White Rabbit brand of milk-flavoured toffee imported from China with an edible inner wrapping may also contain melamine.

Because of the threat of additional contamination he ordered FDA officials on high alert and banned the import of the category of toffee candies for the time being. Testing of toffee samples in the market is being done to determine whether it can be safely consumed.

As for the infant formula milk powders that are available in Thailand’s markets, the FDA chief said he was confident that the products were free of melamine as most of the products were produced from raw materials imported from New Zealand and European countries.

However, dairy product for adults — including yogurt — may use milk powder from China, but less than 10 per cent, he said, which could pose minimal risk.

Mr Chatree also recommended that consumers avoid milk-flavoured toffee from China until the authorities complete their assessment and confirm that there is no contamination.

Melamine, usually used to make plastics and fertiliser, can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure. It has been found in candy, buns and milk cartons sold internationally.

Since the scandal broke earlier this month, Bangladesh, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan have placed at least partial import bans on Chinese dairy products.

FDA expands checks for Chinese milk products

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Food and Drug Administration has expanded its checks for possible melamine-contaminated food products from China to include candy and other items, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Chinese authorities are trying to roll back exports of milk products contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine.

Infant formula tainted with the chemical has put nearly 13,000 Chinese babies into the hospital with painful kidney stones. Four have died.

“The FDA has expanded its Asian market sampling and import surveillance assignments to include additional products such as dairy-based candies, dairy-based desserts and other such products reported to the agency as having been tested in other countries and found positive for melamine or its analogs,” FDA spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek said by e-mail.

“We are testing and we continue to test the products. So far, the FDA has not found any positive samples in the products it has tested.”

Melamine, which can be used to cheat quality checks by mimicking food protein, has been found in candy, buns and carton milk sold to other countries and regions, unleashing fear in markets already shaken by a string of “made-in-China” scandals last year.

China has the world’s third-biggest dairy sector by volume, after India and the United States, the Chinese dairy products industry association recently estimated.

Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan have already banned Chinese milk products.

The FDA says is has contacted the companies that make infant formula for distribution in the United States and been assured that none import formula or source materials from China.
Inspectors have also visited Chinese markets and stores to look for imported Chinese infant formula.

“Additionally, FDA is sampling and testing milk and milk-derived ingredients and finished food products that could contain these ingredients from Chinese sources. Milk-derived ingredients include whole milk powder, nonfat milk powder, whey powder, lactose powder and casein,” the agency said in a statement last week. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Writing by Maggie Fox, Editing by Will Dunham)

Cookies With Melamine Found in Netherlands
By VOA News
30 September 2008

Officials in the Netherlands say two types of Chinese-made cookies have been found with elevated levels of the industrial chemical melamine.

The Dutch Food Safety Authority said Tuesday the chestnut and chocolate flavored cookies from the “Koala” brand are now off the market because of their melamine concentration.

New melamine-tainted products are being announced on an almost daily basis.

In South Korea, officials say the chemical was found in Nabisco Ritz cracker cheese sandwiches and in rice crackers made by the Chinese company, Danyang Day.

Since the melamine scandal broke in early September, more than 50 governments around the world have either banned or recalled Chinese-made products containing milk.

The World Health Organization has issued guidelines to help authorities decide on the health concerns of melamine levels in food.

Chinese authorities warned earlier this month that tons of melamine-contaminated milk powder were exported to Taiwan.

Already some 53,000 children have been sickened in China and four have died after drinking milk or milk products laced with the chemical.

China’s official Xinhua news agency says police in northern China have arrested 27 people in their investigation of the milk scandal.

Police tell Xinhua that melamine was being produced in underground plants and then sold to breeding farms and purchasing stations.

The chemical which is used in making plastic, is believed to have been used to make foods such as watered-down milk appear to be higher in protein.