Melamine scare impacts on Chinese exports of milk products
I have talked before about the strong link between food safety and brand equity and made a series of comments about the issues surrounding the melamine contamination of food and feed.
BBC News reports that in the first months of 2008 an average of 12,000 tonnes of dairy products were exported from China every month. Then melamine contamination hit the headlines. Data would now suggest that dairy exports fell 92% year-on-year in October. This is in part due to an import alert implemented by the US FDA which impacted on exports to the US. Melamine has been found in very low quantities in baby milk formula and the FDA has said that it is acceptable below 2.5ppm
The BBC News article reports that the Chinese Ministry of Health has revised the number of infants who died after drinking tainted products. It now says that as many as six infants have died and up to 294,000 children have suffered from urinary tract ailments including kidney stones. More than 850 children are still being treated in hospital; at least 150 of them are said to be seriously ill.
BBC News reports that in the first months of 2008 an average of 12,000 tonnes of dairy products were exported from China every month. Then melamine contamination hit the headlines. Data would now suggest that dairy exports fell 92% year-on-year in October. This is in part due to an import alert implemented by the US FDA which impacted on exports to the US. Melamine has been found in very low quantities in baby milk formula and the FDA has said that it is acceptable below 2.5ppm
The BBC News article reports that the Chinese Ministry of Health has revised the number of infants who died after drinking tainted products. It now says that as many as six infants have died and up to 294,000 children have suffered from urinary tract ailments including kidney stones. More than 850 children are still being treated in hospital; at least 150 of them are said to be seriously ill.
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