Firm at heart of milk scandal has license revoked

By Yang Lifei  |   2008-10-31  |     ONLINE EDITION

BABY milk powder producer Sanlu Group had its production license revoked due to quality problems, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said yesterday.

A total of 910 food production permits involving 872 enterprises throughout the country were canceled, however, only Hebei Province-based Sanlu Group had its revoked due to quality problems, according to the administration.

Others reasons for canceling production permits included manufacturers going bankrupt, a company discontinuing a licensed product or a company failing to renew it on time.

So far China has withdrawn 8,311.7 tons of unqualified milk products from the market since the toxic baby formula scandal was exposure, Wang Dongfeng, vice director of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, said yesterday in a teleconference with senior governmental officials in Beijing.

Melamine, often used in the manufacture of plastics, was added to substandard or diluted milk to increase protein readings, but not the protein content.

At least four babies died and more than 50,000 were sickened after prolonged consumption of the contaminated milk.

According to Gao Hongbin, vice minister of agriculture, veterinarians had checked cows at more than 20,000 milk collecting stations around the country and shut down 238 unlicensed operators.

Pu Changcheng, vice director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said that as of yesterday more than 12,163 batches of milk products on sale had been tested and found to be safe.

Health Minister Chen Zhu revealed that 2,390 infants nationwide were still receiving hospital treatment for kidney diseases caused by tainted milk powder as of Wednesday.
The figure has dropped from 22,000 on September 26, the minister added.