BANGKOK, Sept 30 (TNA) - Thai authorities have seized 60 tonnes of dried milk powder imported from China at a private port in Samut Prakan province, pending laboratory analysis of the products for possible contamination with the industrial chemical melamine.
Deputy Public Health Minister Vicharn Minchainant and Secretary-General Dr. Chatree Banchuen of the Ministry of Public Health jointly announced that the powder belonged to the Dutch Mill Company and that the authorities had already taken samples for testing.
China's milk scandal came to light earlier this month when the industrial chemical melamine was reportedly found in milk powder there, and was linked to kidney stones in children. Contamination has since found in liquid milk, yogurt and other products made with milk, including some popular brands of milk-based candies.
Four deaths have been blamed on the melamine-tainted milk in China and some 55,000 children have developed kidney stones or other illnesses after consuming contaminated baby formula.
Mr. Vicharn said that the ministry has continued to sample 97 dairy products imported from China since September 19. Of the 34 samples on which testing is already complete, two samples were found to be contaminated with malamine.
The two tainted products were milk powder used as raw material by the Dutch Mill Company, contaminated with malamine at 0.38 and 0.55 milligrammes per kilogramme, which did not exceed the legal limit, according to the minister. The authorities were urgently examining the remaining samples, Mr. Vicharn said.
Meanwhile, Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that M&M's chocolate and other snacks made in China are safe for consumption.
The FDA will issue certifications to the importers -- PR Impact Co., Diethelm Co., Mars Thailand, and Sino-Pacific Trading (Thailand), Co. -- to allow the products to return to the shelves, the Food and Drug Administration secretary-general said.
The agency earlier pulled six dairy products from store shelves nationwide on Thursday in order to examine possible contamination by the industrial chemical melamine.
The minister added that the Public Health Ministry's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is within days of issuing stringent measures for milk and milk products in which the chemical melamine would be allowed not in excess of one milligramme per kilogramme.
The FDA also set limits for other foods which might contain melamine with not more than 2.5 milligrammes per kilogramme.
The new regulation will be submitted to the Public Health Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung for his approval and it would be enforced by next week. (TNA)
General News : Last Update : 19:45:36 30 September 2008 (GMT+7:00)
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