This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7843972.stm
The article has changed 15 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Two face death over Chinese milk | Two face death over Chinese milk |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Two men have been given the death penalty for their involvement in China's contaminated milk scandal. | Two men have been given the death penalty for their involvement in China's contaminated milk scandal. |
| The former boss of the Sanlu dairy at the centre of the scandal was given life imprisonment. | The former boss of the Sanlu dairy at the centre of the scandal was given life imprisonment. |
| They are among 21 sentences being handed down by the court in northern China, where Sanlu is based. | They are among 21 sentences being handed down by the court in northern China, where Sanlu is based. |
| The scandal, in which melamine was added to raw milk to make it appear higher in protein, led to the deaths of six babies and made some 300,000 ill. | The scandal, in which melamine was added to raw milk to make it appear higher in protein, led to the deaths of six babies and made some 300,000 ill. |
| It caused outrage in China and has tainted the image of the country's food industry both at home and abroad. | It caused outrage in China and has tainted the image of the country's food industry both at home and abroad. |
| Illegal workshop | Illegal workshop |
| One of the most eagerly-awaited sentences was that of Tian Wenhua, who was chairwoman of the Sanlu Group, the largest producer of baby milk powder. | One of the most eagerly-awaited sentences was that of Tian Wenhua, who was chairwoman of the Sanlu Group, the largest producer of baby milk powder. |
| MELAMINE SCANDAL 10 Sept: 14 babies reported ill in Gansu province15 Sept: Beijing confirms first deaths from the contamination22 Sept: Toll of ill babies rises to tens of thousands - and eventually will rise to almost 300,00023 Sept: Other countries start to test Chinese dairy products or remove them from shops31 Oct: Chinese media suggest melamine is routinely added to animal feed24 Dec: The main dairy firm involved, Sanlu, is declared bankrupt 31 Dec: Four senior Sanlu executives go on trial2 Jan:Firms involved ask for forgiveness in a mass New Year text message22 Jan: A court in China begins handing down sentences Timeline: China milk scandal | MELAMINE SCANDAL 10 Sept: 14 babies reported ill in Gansu province15 Sept: Beijing confirms first deaths from the contamination22 Sept: Toll of ill babies rises to tens of thousands - and eventually will rise to almost 300,00023 Sept: Other countries start to test Chinese dairy products or remove them from shops31 Oct: Chinese media suggest melamine is routinely added to animal feed24 Dec: The main dairy firm involved, Sanlu, is declared bankrupt 31 Dec: Four senior Sanlu executives go on trial2 Jan:Firms involved ask for forgiveness in a mass New Year text message22 Jan: A court in China begins handing down sentences Timeline: China milk scandal |
| She had pleaded guilty to charges of producing and selling fake or substandard produce in December. | |
| The Intermediate People's Court in Shijiazhuang gave her a life sentence and ordered her to pay a fine of 20m ($2.9m) yuan. | |
| Sanlu itself was fined 50m yuan ($7.3m), Xinhua news agency reports, even though the firm has been declared bankrupt. | |
| Three other former Sanlu executives were given between five years and 15 years. | |
| Earlier the court sentenced Zhang Yujun and Geng Jinping to death. | Earlier the court sentenced Zhang Yujun and Geng Jinping to death. |
| Zhang Yujun was accused of running an illegal workshop in Shandong province in eastern China, producing 600 tonnes of the fake protein powder - the largest source of melamine in the country. | Zhang Yujun was accused of running an illegal workshop in Shandong province in eastern China, producing 600 tonnes of the fake protein powder - the largest source of melamine in the country. |
| He was sentenced along with Zhang Yanzhang - accused of selling on Zhang Yujun's protein powder - who was given a life sentence. | He was sentenced along with Zhang Yanzhang - accused of selling on Zhang Yujun's protein powder - who was given a life sentence. |
| Milk producer, Geng Jinping had been convicted of producing and selling toxic food to dairy companies. | |
| His associate Geng Jinzhu was given eight years in prison. | His associate Geng Jinzhu was given eight years in prison. |
| Gao Junjie, who was also accused of selling protein powder to milk producers, received a suspended death sentence, Xinhua said. | |
| Huge anger | Huge anger |
| When the scandal broke in September, it emerged a chain of melamine producers and middlemen had been supplying milk dealers with the product. Tainted milk made thousands of Chinese babies ill | When the scandal broke in September, it emerged a chain of melamine producers and middlemen had been supplying milk dealers with the product. Tainted milk made thousands of Chinese babies ill |
| The dealers added the industrial chemical to boost the apparent protein content of milk, which had often been watered down to make more money. | The dealers added the industrial chemical to boost the apparent protein content of milk, which had often been watered down to make more money. |
| Major dairy companies bought the milk from such dealers, failing to test the milk for purity and nutritional value. | Major dairy companies bought the milk from such dealers, failing to test the milk for purity and nutritional value. |
| The result was widespread poisoning of babies, the group most vulnerable to tainted milk as it was their only food source. | The result was widespread poisoning of babies, the group most vulnerable to tainted milk as it was their only food source. |
| Kidney damage was reported in hundreds of thousands of people. At least six babies were killed because of it. | Kidney damage was reported in hundreds of thousands of people. At least six babies were killed because of it. |
| The scandal prompted levels of anger in China unseen for many years, the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Beijing says. | The scandal prompted levels of anger in China unseen for many years, the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Beijing says. |
| The government scrambled to fight off allegations that it reacted slowly, by pledging to improve food safety standards and promising to bring the culprits of the scandal to court. | The government scrambled to fight off allegations that it reacted slowly, by pledging to improve food safety standards and promising to bring the culprits of the scandal to court. |
| /> | |
| Are you in China? What do you think of the sentences handed down to those involved in the scandal? Did you consume or were you affected by contaminated milk? | Are you in China? What do you think of the sentences handed down to those involved in the scandal? Did you consume or were you affected by contaminated milk? |