The New Nation - Internet Edition

Md. Masum Billah

This year China has become the centre stage of the globe for two reasons. One is for her successfully holding the twenty-ninth Summer Olympic Games . As soon as the curtain Olympic curtain draws she has invited the world attention for her tainted milk scandal. At least 53 brands of dairy products in China, plus foreign brands made with Chinese milk ingredients including cad berry chocolate and Lipton milk tea powder, have been found to contain melamine , a bringing agent used to make plastics and floor tiles. Chinese diary products found another use for the chemical adding into watered-down milk. The tainted milk found its way into yogurt, ice cream, cakes, cookies, cereals and mot unbelievably for many Chinese parents who have been ordered by the state to have just one child, powdered baby formula. Health Ministry has discovered that -melamine is limited to one part per million for infant formula and 2.5 parts per million for liquid milk, milk powder and food products that contain more than 15% milk.

Melamine has many efficient uses of industrial terms, clearly detrimental if introduced in consumed products. In fact, melamine consumption leads to Kinney stones and painful renal complications leading to kidney failure particularly in young children aged two or younger. Many experts in Asia even advise against the use of melamine dishware, as small amounts of melamine may be transferred from dish to food. Twenty seven individuals suspected of producing and introducing melamine into supply chain were arrested in Hebei province where more than 485 pounds of melamine was seized. Out of twenty- seven seventeen were managers of pastures, breeding farms and milk purchasing stations. The Sanlu Group in Shijiazhuzang, has been identified as the source of contaminated powdered milk . Moreover, individuals arrested in Hebei, claimed to be producing 'protein powder' since last year. Another individual said he was advised to lace his dairy with melamine to increase the proportion of protein and help milk pass the Sanlu test, a test which is below standard and flaw ridden.

The industrial chemical, according to investigation was produced in underground plants and then sold to breeding farm and milk purchasing station. Milk suppliers according to authorities' added melamine which is high in nitrogen to watered-down milk to deceive quality tests, since nitrogen makes products appear to have higher protein content, thus mask protein deficient products.

Some 54000 children have ended up in the hospital after drinking melamine-tainted milk formula and at least four have died. Other children have been hospitalized with kidney stones in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Still 12,900 children are in different hospitals. This melamine tainted dairy scandal which follows last years' debacle over contaminated seafood, toothpaste and tainted pet food, has stirred doubts and questions over the credibility of Chinese productions once again.

Dr. Jorgen Schlundt, Director of WHO Food Safety Department said "While breastfeeding is the ideal way of proving infants with the nutrients they need for health growth and redevelopment-it is also critical to ensure that there is an adequate supply of safe powered infant formula to meet the needs of infants who are not breastfed".

He added, "There is a need for courtiers to do major investment in strengthening the food control and food-borne disease surveillance systems as it could minimize the potential occurrence of food safety incidents like this in China"

It is critical that the industry strongly invests in food safety and adopts a food safety culture covering the food chain form raw materials through to the final product." Dr. Boutirf said. This manipulation and dishonesty not only impact on food safety and human health but also put the livelihood of hundreds and millions of dairy farmers at risk.

The global response since the scandal broke in mid-September has been swift.

More than a dozen counties have already banned some or all dairy products form the affected brands. EU slapped a ban on any baby food originating in China that has even a trace of milk. Some analysts commented that it could take until 2010 for the 20 billion Chinese dairy industry to regain what it lost its credibility and sales-and that assuming Chinese leaders get serious about a rigorous and transparent quality inspection system. China said it would cooperate with food quality inspectors of other nations to restore the crisis over tainted milk that has led countries including Malaysia to ban Chinese-made dairy products. "We fully understand the countries' concerns. The relevant Chinese authorities are ready to work with the food safety authorities of these countries to properly handle the issue"-Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Jang Yu said.

Chinese milk products including infant formula, candy, yogurt and ice cream have been banned or recalled in several Asian countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei and the Philippines. Two Chinese daily manufactures had also recalled baby milk power exported to Yemen, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Burundi and Gabon. Myanmar authorities have banned the import and distribution of nine Chinese dairy products found to be contaminated with the toxic industrial chemical melamine. The band comes after the country's food and drug watchdog destroyed 16 tones of imported Chinese baby formula and authorities urged people not use Chinese milk and dairy products because of the tainted milk scandal

China's government announced on October 9 that 300 million yuan (43.9 million dollars) in subsidies for the nations scandal. In order to stabilize the breeding of dairy cows and advance the breeding of dairy cows and advance the development of dairy industry, the finance and agricultural miniseries have set a provisional subsidy for farmers in hard hit areas. Farmers in China's main dairy regions of Inner Mongolia, Heber, Liaoning, Shanxi and Shandong provinces would be the main beneficiaries of the programme . 300 million yuan in funds would be handed down from central government department for local government to distribute according to conditions of the farms.

Although the tainted milk was discovered as early as March this year, industry and government cover-ups kept the scandal out of the state media until early September. Now

China is struggling to limit the damage to its food safety reputation as a growing number of countries decide to suspend imports of Chinese milk products or withdraw them from sale over the scandal. The scandal is expected to wreak billions of dollars in losses to China's dairy industry, while trust in the nation's food safety system has been greatly damaged both internationally and domestically. Many owe the problems not to just a few corrupt businessmen or officials but rather to China's quick transformation from being communist style economy to an unrestricted participant in market economy.

Since the scandal China dairy export industry has been teetering precariously on the brink of collapse. In order to curtain the public from 'truth' and curb nation's outrage over tainted milk products, China has tightened its policy on media freedom. It is also learnt that the lawyers standing beside the sufferers and affected ones have been constantly being threatened by the local governments. It's a great lesson for all the dishonest businessmen and officials of any country who commit crimes against humanity. How tremendous loss it incurs to a nation!