Monday, September 29, 2008

Chocolate Maker Notes Chinese Chocolates Contaminated

The problem of melamine contaminated milk products, including baby formula, is spreading well beyond China and the initial milk products.

Cadbury, the British chocolate manufacturer has found its Chinese made chocolates have been contaminated. So far, the company has pulled 11 types of chocolates from shelves in China, but it appears that other nations and businesses are voluntarily pulling Chinese products with milk ingredients from shelves as a precaution:
The scandal broke this month when authorities said infant formula produced by Sanlu was causing kidney stones in babies and young children. Four infants have died and some 54,000 have become ill after drinking the contaminated baby formula.

Subsequent tests revealed melamine contamination in products ranging from yogurt to candy to pastries.

Authorities believe suppliers added melamine, which is rich in nitrogen, to watered-down milk to deceive quality tests for protein.

Cadbury said the 11 recalled chocolate products were distributed in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia.

U.S. companies Kraft Foods Inc. and Mars Inc. said they would adhere to a recall order of Chinese-made Oreos, M&Ms and Snickers in Indonesia, but said they wanted to conduct their own tests with outside experts.

So far only a local agency has checked the products for melamine, but the levels found were considered very high.

"We have asked our trade partners and retailers to suspend the sales of our products in accordance to the agency's order," Mars Indonesia spokesman Bondan Ardi said.

Hong Kong supermarket chain PARKnSHOP also pulled its Chinese-made Oreo, M&M and Snickers products as a precaution, spokeswoman Pinky Chan said.
As for when the scandal broke, the Chinese government hid the details until after the Beijing Olympics were completed because they feared the bad press during their precious games. How many people were injured as a result of eating contaminated products because the Chinese government failed to alert all those who might be consuming milk or milk products laced with melamine?

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