Melamine in Food - Worldwide

[Gert van der Hoek]

Candies recalled in Australia, NZ after China milk scare

sept 24 2008

Australian Food Regulators have commenced a formal request today to wholesalers and importers to voluntarily withdraw White Rabbit Brand Candies from shops pending further results of testing for melamine.

Testing in New Zealand released late today has confirmed that this product contains sufficiently high levels of melamine which may, in some individuals, cause health problems such as kidney stones if consumed in
high quantities over a long period.

People are advised not to consume these milk-based sweets imported from China. This product is sold in retail packs through Asian retailers, supermarkets and restaurants.

Anyone who has the product should not to consume it. It is unlikely that there could be a problem if consumed in small amounts but people with concerns about the consumption of this product should seek medical advice.

The Australian State and Territory agencies will be working closely with wholesalers and importers to facilitate this voluntary withdrawal.

Australia does not import infant formula products from China and has not imported full-dairy products, such as yoghurt or condensed milk, from China since March 2007. Food Standards Australia New Zealand and State
and Territory agencies are continuing to monitor the situation.

Meanwhile, the NZ Food Safety Authority this afternoon announced that a New Zealand company undertaking precautionary testing for the presence of melamine has reported finding a minute amount of melamine in one of its highly processed products. It has also advised that similar levels are being found in the same product produced in other countries.

"NZFSA is investigating, but at this early stage it is very likely that the low levels reported are a coincidental consequence of the process and not in any way caused by deliberate adulteration," the NZFSA said in a statement.

"Low levels of melamine from a range of sources are not unexpected in the food cycle. Explanations for its presence include leaching from plastic involved in processing or packaging, or an unintended outcome of the manufacturing process. At these low levels, it does not present any health risk for consumers. There is no risk either for New Zealand or international consumers of products that contain this ingredient at these low levels."

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is conducting a full investigation to determine the reason for the presence and will report its findings.

NZFSA is not concerned from a public health point of view with the low levels found in the product and will report further when it has more information to hand.

http://www.foodweek.com.au/main-features-page.aspx?articleType=ArticleView&articleId=2612

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Melamine in Food - Imported from China

UK Supermarket Tesco Withdraws Chinese Sweets Over Milk Fears

September 24, 2008


LONDON (AFP)--The U.K.'s biggest retailer, Tesco PLC (TSCO.LN), said Wednesday it had taken certain Chinese sweets off its shelves due to fears over the contaminated milk product scandal.

"As a precautionary measure, we have withdrawn White Rabbit Candies from the very small number of U.K. stores that sell them as part of our ethnic range," Tesco said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for the supermarket said the decision was taken Tuesday and the products were removed from the shelves immediately.

Four children have died and some 53,000 children have become sick in China after consuming milk products tainted with melamine, a product normally used to make plastics.

The scandal has prompted a host of nations to ban, or at least scrutinize, Chinese dairy imports.

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djhighlights/200809240559DOWJONESDJONLINE000349.htm

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Melamine in Food - Imported from China

CPSC: China milk crisis sign more checks needed

By ELAINE KURTENBACH ?

SHANGHAI, China (AP) ? The recent troubles with contaminated milk in China highlight the need for better enforcement of product safety standards at all stages of manufacturing, U.S. and European consumer safety officials said Wednesday.

Countries have stepped up testing of foods imported from China as a scandal over milk powder contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine fueled fears that compromised ingredients may have tainted other products such as cookies and cereal.

"The melamine situation just underscores the message that we are trying to deliver, and that is you have to know what's coming into your factory and what's going out of your factory," said Nancy Nord, acting head of the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.

"You cannot cut corners on these things," Nord told The Associated Press in an interview.

Nord and other U.S. and European officials were in China for seminars aimed at promoting compliance with product safety regulations that were tightened following a spate of scandals last year over unsafe or shoddy products, from toys and tires to drugs and pet foods.

The cases of melamine contamination, which has sickened some 54,000 Chinese babies and is blamed for four deaths, have raised doubts over how much progress China has actually made in improving its enforcement of product quality and safety standards.

The 27-nation EU does not allow imports of milk or dairy products because China lacks a system for certifying safe levels of residues of antibiotics and other chemicals.

But EU officials said member governments were stepping up checks of other products that could contain contaminated milk.

"From what I have heard from Brussels over the last 24 hours, nothing has been detected," said Jacqueline Minor, the EU's director for consumer affairs.

"Nobody wants to see that kind of thing happen, especially to small children," Minor said. "But it's a timely reminder of the need for constant vigilance.

Producers of raw materials, manufacturers, distributors, exporters and importers, all must be held accountable, she said.

Milk suppliers trying to cut costs are thought to have added melamine, normally used to make plastics and fertilizers, to watered-down milk because its high nitrogen content masks the resulting protein deficiency.

In the case of other products, such as toys and electronics, items were recalled due to excess lead content or other defects that could cause injury or illness.

Regulations enacted by the U.S. Congress last month require manufacturers to reduce the amount of lead that can be used to make toys and electrical products used by children, Richard O'Brien, director of the CPSC's office for international programs, told Chinese manufacturers attending a seminar in Shanghai.

Eventually, content standards for the metal will be cut to virtually zero when technically feasible, he said.

"If you have to plan, you should plan conservatively," O'Brien said.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i1CU5YW1IGWQeQQ3hkd7efc5JSEgD93D13MO3

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Melamine in Food - Imported from China

Countries ban Chinese imports amid tainted milk scandal

HONG KONG ? At least 12 countries - from Indonesia to Colombia - have banned Chinese dairy products amid fears over a widening tainted milk scandal that has killed four Chinese babies and sickened thousands of others.

Worries that compromised ingredients may have contaminated other foods like yogurts, cookies and candies have led several more countries, from Canada to Australia, to step up testing of Chinese imports.

The health scare has hit hardest in Asia, where nervous parents have rushed their children to hospitals for health checkups in recent days after China revealed that baby formula laced with a toxic chemical had sickened 54,000 infants.

"I'm still worried about my child," said Mary Yu, a Hong Kong mother who took her 3-year-old son for hospital tests Tuesday, along with hundreds of other parents in the territory. "I want to have a thorough check to play it safe."

As the reports of sick babies multiplied - with at least five reported outside the mainland in the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau - even countries that don't import Chinese dairy began sounding alarms.

The European Union urged customs authorities on Monday to intensify checks on imports of "composite products," such as bread or chocolate, to ensure they contain no traces of contaminated milk.

Growing public fears prompted some schools and stores to pull more products as a precaution. Even major international food makers such as Kraft Foods were hit by unconfirmed rumors of recalls of numerous snacks, including Oreo cookies and M&Ms.

The crisis was initially thought to have been limited to Chinese milk powder laced with melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizer that can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure.

But recent testing found melamine in samples of liquid milk taken from 22 Chinese companies - including the country's two largest dairy producers - and spurred nationwide recalls of milk and dairy products.

Since the scandal broke two weeks ago, Bangladesh, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Burundi, Kenya and Gabon have placed at least partial bans on Chinese dairy imports or foods that may contain milk. Vietnam has ordered testing of all Chinese milk products and pulled several thousand litres of milk from supermarket shelves.

On Wednesday, Indonesia issued a sweeping ban covering 28 products - everything from liquid milk to Oreos and Snickers - out of concern they might be poisoned with adulterated Chinese dairy.

"The government has banned those products as a precaution even though we have not tested them yet," said Tien Gardini of Indonesia's food regulatory agency.

Colombia, which had not imported powdered milk or baby formula from China, specifically prohibited the import of all Chinese powdered milk and any products derived from it last week.

As import bans continued to crop up, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday that the tainted infant formula at the heart of the scandal might be smuggled across borders.

"I think the greatest fear is if there has been illegal movement of the heavily contaminated products rather than the legal movement of products that may have very low levels of melamine," said Anthony Hazzard, a WHO adviser on food security.

France heeded the call, saying it was checking to make sure no Chinese baby milk products have slipped into the market on a small scale.

But most consumers and regulators were focusing on legal imports.

Canada issued recalls for Mr. Brown brand instant coffee after Taiwan pulled the product off its shelves. Bangladesh ordered testing of powder milk imported from countries known for tighter government regulations such as Australia, New Zealand and Denmark.

Malaysia expanded its ban on Chinese milk products on Tuesday to include candies, chocolates and any other food containing milk.

With consumer confidence shaken, international food makers were put on the defensive.

A major Japanese food maker, Marudai Food Co., pulled its cream buns, meat buns, and creamed corn crepes from supermarkets, but was still conducting tests.

After reports that a 16-month old in Macau developed a kidney stone after drinking Chinese-made Nestle milk powder made, the company rushed to assure consumers its products hadn't been affected.

Switzerland-based Nestle said in a statement Tuesday that its milk products sold in China and Hong Kong are "absolutely safe." No government tests have found melamine in Nestle milk products.

U.S.-based Kraft Foods Inc. issued a statement saying Oreo products with milk do not contain any dairy from China. A spokeswoman for Mars, maker of M&M candies and other sweets, said the company doesn't source any ingredients from China's blacklisted firms.

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jUom1FMCSxe2w4O0dFo60v_tu0Ig

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Melamine in Food - Imported from China

From UK

Tesco recalls Chinese sweets containing melamine

The chemical at the centre of the baby milk scandal in China has been found in sweets sold at selected Tesco stores

Anil Dawar guardian.co.uk, Wednesday September 24 2008

Tesco has withdrawn a range of children's sweets from UK stores after they were found to contain the chemical responsible for the contaminated baby milk scandal in China.

The supermarket chain recalled White Rabbit Creamy Candies because of the presence of melamine, the chemical that has contaminated formula milk in China causing four babies to die and about 53,000 children to become ill.

The alarm was raised after food testers in Hong Kong and Singapore found traces of melamine in the product.

Although the sweets are made in China, they are stocked in UK branches of Tesco, which sell ethnic foods from around the world. The supermarket said withdrawing the sweets was only a precaution, and that nobody was known to have fallen ill after eating them.

A spokesman said: "As a precautionary measure, we have withdrawn White Rabbit Candies from the very small number of UK stores that sell them as part of our ethnic range."

Melamine is an industrial chemical used in plastics, which, if consumed, can cause stomach pain and kidney stones. It is thought it had been added to diluted children's milk to make it appear higher in protein

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/sep/24/foodsafety.tesco

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Melamine in Food - Imported from China

Two-year-old girl may be first melamine victim in Taiwan

Regular check-up upon return from China revealed kidney abnormality

2008-09-25

A two-year-old girl who lived in China with her parents was diagnosed with signs of a hardening kidney yesterday in what might be the first case in Taiwan of a melamine-related disease.

The girl drank milk made from Chinese milk powder on a regular basis as she lived with her Taiwanese father and Chinese mother in Guangzhou, the Chinese-language United Evening News said yesterday.

The family recently arrived in Taiwan and had the girl undergo a regular check at a hospital in Taichung County.

Doctors found a hardening kidney, though no kidney stone, symptoms of ingesting melamine, the toxic chemical added to some Chinese dairy products to fool protein tests.

The hospital said continued observation of the child was necessary, though kidney stones would not necessarily develop. Another medical test would be needed two months from now, the hospital said.

People needed to drink the tainted product for at least two months before kidney problems would show, Taipei City Hospital president Huang Pi-tao told reporters.

In Taipei, doctors found kidney stones in two adults out of 25 adults and two children who underwent checks yesterday morning. The doctors were also unable to tell whether the kidney problems were related to long-term drinking of milk products.

A 74-year-old man who said he had the habit of drinking milk tea was diagnosed with a two-centimeter-long kidney stone. Doctors said he should undergo an operation to remove the stone.

The other patient, a 40-year-old woman, was in a far less serious state. Her problem could be solved by drinking more water, doctors said.

The diagnoses came as hospitals across Taiwan geared up to provide free kidney-stone screening for children or for patients who thought they might have suffered from drinking the contaminated dairy products. The hospitals taking part in the six-month program will provide urine tests and ultrasound examinations.

http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=747325

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Melamine in Food - Worldwide

Also contaminated sweets in the Netherlands

24 September, 2008,

The controversial candies in Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand which are banned from the shelves are sold in the Netherlands too. according to the Food Authority.

According to Hans Jeuring of the Food Authority, the sweets arae moved from the shelves as a "precautionary measure" and tested.

According Jeuring the sweets are unlikely to be dangerous to health.
Probably they do not contain enough melamine to endanger public health.

The first test results are expected within a few days.

- snip -

http://www.bnr.nl/artikel/10156578/besmette-snoepjes-nederland

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Melamine in Food - Worldwide

A recall in Canada

Consumer Advisory: Nissin Cha Cha Dessert May Contain Melamine

Wednesday, 24 September 2008


Audio clips available at https://www.inspection.gc.ca/english...ndexaude.shtml.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Regent Long Marketing and Distribution Ltd. are advising people not to consume the Nissin Cha Cha Dessert described below. This product was made using Yili Pure Milk, in which melamine was detected by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Centre of Food Safety.

The affected product, Nissin Cha Cha Dessert is sold in a 440g package (2 packs of 220g) bearing UPC 4 897878 550005. All Best Before dates are affected by this advisory.

This product has been distributed in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

Nissin Foods Company Ltd., Hong Kong is recalling the product in Hong Kong. The Canadian importer of this product, Regent Long Marketing and Distribution Ltd., Richmond, BC, was notified of this recall by the product's manufacturer and is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace.

The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall. This recall is a part of the Government of Canada's ongoing investigation into milk and milk-derived products sourced in/from China that may have been distributed in Canada.

Melamine is a chemical compound used in a number of commercial and industrial applications. Canada does not allow its use as a food ingredient.

Information on the recall in Hong Kong is available on the Centre of Food Safety, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's website:

http://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_fa/whatsnew_fa_64_Boxed_Cha_Cha.html

For more information consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit our web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.

http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=47743&Itemid=61

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Melamine in Food - Worldwide

Singapore finds five more tainted Chinese foods

(09-25 00:18)

Singapore has found traces of a toxic chemical in five more Chinese-made food products, including the first non-dairy items that had milk as an ingredient, authorities said.

Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said that samples of Dutch Lady-brand banana and honeydew flavored milk, Silang-brand potato crackers and two kinds of puffed rice balls imported from China were contaminated with melamine.

The crackers and rice balls were the first non-dairy products found with melamine, though they listed milk as ingredients.

Last week, authorities suspended the sale and import of all Chinese milk and dairy products after finding melamine in samples of a Yili-brand yogurt bar, Dutch Lady-brand strawberry milk and White Rabbit-brand chewy candy manufactured in China.

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=6660&icid=4&d_str=20080924

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Melamine in Food - Worldwide

From Taiwan

People throng hospitals for kidney checkups


Thursday, September 25, 2008

The China Post news staff

Several hospitals have reported cases of residents with kidney stones and high-calcium problems, but doctors were not able to link the cases directly to the Chinese-made dairy products contaminated with melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers.

Residents around the island thronged the two dozen hospitals run by the Department of Health (DOH) to examine symptoms related to kidney stones free of charge.

The authorities have discovered only recently that 25 tons of milk powder bearing the Sanlu (three deer) brand were imported in June from China.

The product was recalled because the contamination of melamine was linked to kidney-related diseases suffered by young children.

Two two-year-old girls currently living in Taiwan were diagnosed with high-calcium content in their kidneys.

Health officials in central Taichung County said a resident married a Chinese woman who gave birth to a baby girl in Guangzhou City of China's southern Guangdong Province. Before their return to Taiwan, the baby may have consumed a lot of milk powder manufactured in China.

The Zhongxiao campus of the Taipei City Hospital also diagnosed a baby girl with similar symptoms.

But doctors said both girls will be fine if they receive continued attention and regular treatment.

Among the visitors getting a checkup at the DOH's hospital in Xinzhuang City, Taipei County, two were found to have kidney stones.

Both the 74-year-old man and the 40-year-old woman said they have heavily consumed milk tea for many years.

Doctors said both are under treatment for removal of the stones. But they said it is hard to determine whether both cases were related to the Chinese products.

The DOH hospital in southeastern Taitung County also diagnosed a 63-year-old man with kidney stones. The man said he has had the habit of drinking coffee with creamer for many years.

In view of the large number of residents queuing up to receive free physicals, some hospitals said they are considering providing free exams on both Saturday and Sunday mornings.

The list of DOH-run hospitals is available on the department's Web sites www.doh.gov.tw or http://food.doh.gov.tw/chinese/chinese.asp.

There will be no charge for registration or other costs of examination unless further treatment or operation is needed.

To alleviate parents' concerns, the Taipei City Hospital designated several of its branches to provide free kidney stone screening for infants under one year old residing in the city.

The service will be available from Sept. 26 to Oct. 27 at the campuses of Zhongxing, Renai, Heping, Zhongxiao, Yangming and Women's and Children's hospitals, announced Huang Tsun-cheng the hospital deputy superintendent yesterday.

Parents who fear their children may have ingested melamine-tainted formula or food can take their children to one of the branches for urine tests and ultrasound examinations, the expenses for which are covered by the Taipei City Government, Huang said.

An investigation by health authorities showed, however, that the milk powder imported to Taiwan was intended as an ingredient for food manufacturing and was not used in processing baby formula.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/print/176075.htm

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Melamine in Food - Worldwide

09-24-2008

Melamine Found in Korean Snack

By Jane Han
Staff Reporter

Unacceptably high levels of melamine-tainted milk from China have been found in a Korean snack, the nation's food safety regulator said Wednesday. This is the first time the toxic, possibly fatal compound has been discovered in a local product.

Tests conducted by the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) found 137 parts per million (ppm) of melamine in a confectionary snack ``Misarang Custard'' distributed by Haitai, the country's second largest snack maker and distributor. The KFDA said Haitai has managed to recall 95 percent of the OEM-produced product, which was imported from a Chinese firm in July.

Melamine is generally used in the production of fertilizers and plastics, but has recently been at the center of a widespread Chinese food scandal, as some dairy plants there have added the chemical to milk products to simulate a boost in protein levels.

At least 12 countries, including Singapore, Taiwan, Kenya, Bangladesh and Japan have imposed a complete or partial import ban on milk or dairy products from China on health concerns. Since the scandal broke two weeks ago, four Chinese babies have died and thousands sickened.

A Haitai official said the company wasn't able to assess exactly how much of the contaminated product had been sold as of Wednesday.

The KFDA said details of the investigation will be announced today.

In addition to the Haitai product, authorities found 7 ppm of melamine in ``Milk Rusk,'' a snack imported from Hong Kong.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/09/123_31612.html

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Melamine in Food - Worldwide

Instant coffee blend pulled from shelves in Ottawa stores

Tony Lofaro
The Ottawa Citizen


Wednesday, September 24, 2008


The instant coffee blend imported from Taiwan and suspected of containing melamine was pulled from Chinese grocery stores in Ottawa by the Canadian importer yesterday.

Some types of Mr. Brown 3-in-1 instant coffee were recalled because they might contain the chemical, which is used in plastics, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said. Melamine was found in powdered milk in China and led to the deaths of four babies.

Toronto-based importer Thai Indochine Trading Inc. said the affected products were mostly in Western Canada, but those in Ottawa stores were pulled as a precaution. "The ones in Eastern Canada, the codes do not match with the production dates that we mentioned as being affected," said company president Sam Sum.

A check of several stores in Chinatown did not turn up the product, except at Phuoc Loi Grocery, at Somerset and Booth streets. A clerk said the importer called yesterday and asked that the product be taken off shelves.

Mr. Sum said about half a dozen Asian stores in Ottawa carried the product and complied with the request. Another product, Mr. Brown Iced Coffee in cans is not affected.

Mr. Brown 3-in-1 instant coffee is sold in 450 gram packages containing 30 bags. Mr. Sum said so far he has not heard of any consumers becoming ill.

Mr. Sum said customers should return any product to point of purchase.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=81a72c9a-f9ae-46d1-a4d7-052c7eb73514

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Melamine in Food - Worldwide

From Canada, Dep of Health

-snip -

About Melamine Contaminated Milk Products

Melamine, a chemical used in a number of commercial and industrial applications, is unsafe for human consumption. Melamine is not approved or permitted in food in Canada.

Symptoms

Consumption of melamine may lead to reproductive damage, bladder or kidney stones, bladder cancer, acute kidney failure and death.

Transmission

The effects of melamine are directly related to consumption of products containing the chemical and cannot be spread between people. Currently melamine has been found in infant formula and has been possibly linked to other dairy products made in China.

Recommendations for travellers

Until further information is provided by the Chinese government, we recommend that you:

do not use infant formula made in China

avoid consuming milk products (e.g. yogurt, ice cream, custards) made in China or products with milk-derived ingredients made in China.

Milk-derived ingredients include whole milk powder, non-fat milk powder, whey powder, lactose powder, and casein.

Monitor your health

If your child has consumed any infant formula made in China, the risk of ill effects is low. However, if you have concerns or your child has any unusual symptoms, consult your health care provider.

http://news.gc.ca/web/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=420549&categoryid=16

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Melamine in Food - Worldwide

Dutch feed sector extra alert on melamine

http://www.worldpoultry.net/home/id2..._melamine.html

After the Chinese government announced it would carry out extra checks for the presence of melamine in animal feed, the Dutch Product Board for Animal Feed (PDV) also took extra measures to prevent melamine entering the Netherlands.

PDV will do extra checks on melamine among the GMP+ feed companies in the Netherlands. It will also check dairy products which are intended for animal feed.

The extra checks for melamine in animal feed came after melamine was found in baby milk powder in China. As of yet, over 50.000 children in Chine have been affected by melamine and many children are in a serious health condition.

The reason why it was mixed with milk and milk powders is that it enables you to "stretch" the milk with water. The addition of melamine would then indicate falsely high nitrogen content, which generally is a quality criterion for milk.

------------------------------------------

Comment: This is published in WorldPoultry.Net. Are we to assume that poultry is fed with animal feed containing dairy products? Should such feed be used, what are the consequences for the health of the chickens (whether or not this feed is tainted) and, ultimately, for us humans, eating these chickens? Are other animals fed this? Which? Consequences?

------------------------------------------

Edited to add this article which answers part of my question: http://www.pigprogress.net/news/id16..._melamine.html - Same information, in a web site dedicated to pigs...

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80580

[FrenchieGirl]

Re: Melamine in Food - Worldwide

Some 2,250 outlets checked for China-made milk or dairy goods

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...378161/1/.html

By May Wong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 24 September 2008 2230 hrs

Related News

? Major bakeries in S'pore say they don't use China-made dairy products

? 5 more China-made products found tainted with melamine

SINGAPORE: As the milk scandal in China continues, the National Environment Agency (NEA) is conducting spot checks on some 2,250 outlets like coffeeshops and bakeries, to ensure they are not using China-made milk or dairy products.

The week-long exercise should be completed by next Wednesday. The checks started on Tuesday.

The inspection came on the back of news that China-imported milk products contain melamine, a chemical used in plastics.

Products that contain melamine have since been recalled and Singapore has also banned all imports of milk and dairy products from China since September 19.

Melamine has caused the deaths of four children in China and sickened over 50,000 others.

A Jalan Bukit Merah bakery that was inspected by NEA officers said the shop uses only milk and dairy products made in Singapore.

Assistant manager of Qbread, Yeap Jin Choon, said, "We're not affected because we don't use (china-made) milk. So customers have confidence in our products."

A coffeeshop assistant at Wan Lee Food Court, Goh Kim Seng, said, "Since the scare in China, it's good that (there are) routine spot checks just to put things straight or I should say, in order."

Businesses say they have not suffered any losses as consumers do not seem too concerned.

A member of the public said, ?I'm not worried so much but I'm not drinking any milk for now."

Another said, "(It is) up to your own self to believe (in the products), whether you want to be safe or you can take a risk."

Anyone found selling the banned products can be fined up to S$10,000 or jailed for three months, or both.

Up to 50 hygiene officers have been going around places such as restaurants and bakeries to do spot checks, with one officer checking about 10 outlets everyday.

The aim of the inspection is to make sure that no milk or dairy products from China make their way into Singapore's food or drinks. Officers have not found any shops to be using such products so far.

- CNA/yt