The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The government will examine all 36 brands of milk powder available in the market to detect whether those are contaminated with melamine, expert committee sources said.

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has already colleted the 36 brands of milk powder that also include much talked about eight brands. A laboratory test of the Chemistry Department of university of Dhaka found the eight brands of milk contaminated with melamine.

Sources in the Ministry of Commerce said apart from powder milks the ministry will also examine baby foods available in the market considering health situation of infants.

Committee Convener Joint Secretary of Ministry of Commerce Mohammad Ali said the examination of all brands of milk powder will begin once the re-examination report of the eight brands of powder milk ends.

The expert committee, which formed to re-examine the eight brands of powder milks, has already started its work and yesterday visited the two labs of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Institute.

Meanwhile, the High Court yesterday ordered the government to ban display and sale of eight foreign milk powder brands, which were found contaminated with melamine in a Dhaka University laboratory test.

The eight banned brands are Australia's Diploma and Red Cow, Denmark's Dano Full Cream, China's Yashli-1, Yashli- 2 and Sweet Baby, and New Zealand's Nido Fortified Instant and Anlene.

The government, meantime, has started to upgrade the regulations regarding import of milk powder and baby foods.