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| Chinese baby milk scare 'severe' | Chinese baby milk scare 'severe' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The number of Chinese babies known to have fallen ill with kidney stones as a result of contaminated milk powder has risen to 432, officials have announced. | The number of Chinese babies known to have fallen ill with kidney stones as a result of contaminated milk powder has risen to 432, officials have announced. |
| "This is a severe food safety accident," a senior health ministry official told a news conference. | |
| Gao Qiang said the Sanlu Group had been ordered to halt production after its products were found to be responsible. | |
| Tests showed the milk powder contained the industrial chemical melamine. One infant has died. | |
| The new scare revived memories of a fake baby milk formula scandal four years ago in which at least 13 babies died. | The new scare revived memories of a fake baby milk formula scandal four years ago in which at least 13 babies died. |
| Vow to punish | |
| "As of 12 September, there are 432 cases of kidney stones in the urinary systems of infants according to reports from health departments nationwide," Gao Qiang said. | |
| "None of the milk powder was exported to other countries or regions," Mr Gao said. | |
| "Only a fraction of the milk powder was sold to Taiwan for food processing," he added. | |
| "We will severely punish and discipline those people and workers who have acted illegally," Mr Gao said. | |
| Melamine is a toxic chemical used in plastics, fertilisers and cleaning products. | |
| Sanlu ordered a recall of 700 tonnes of contaminated milk on Thursday | |
| New Zealand-based dairy product company Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd, a part-owner of Sanlu, ordered a recall of about 700 tonnes of powder contaminated with melamine believed to be in circulation. | |
| Melamine has been used by Chinese suppliers of animal feed components to make them appear to have more protein. | |
| It was linked to the formation of kidney stones and kidney failure in pets in the United States last year, leading to thousands of deaths and illnesses. | |
| A fake milk powder scandal in 2004 killed at least 13 babies in the eastern province of Anhui. | |
| Investigators found that the milk given to these babies had no nutritional value, and the resulting scandal triggered widespread investigations into food safety. |