Synutra Goes Beyond Government Orders in Infant Formula Recall

A second child in China has died after being given tainted infant formula, and more than a thousand other children became sick from various forms of the product. China’s Ministry of Health has determined the problem lies in the chemical additive melamine. The chemical is never supposed to be used in infant formula, but its addition increases the reading levels of protein in milk, though not the actual amount of protein. The MOH theorizes that the chemical was added by collection centers, rather than individual farmers or formula companies.

The scandal reminds the worldwide public of safety problems caused by poor regulation in China-sourced food and drugs, even though China-produced formula is not exported.

The milk powder that caused the problem came from the Sanlu Group, one of the largest producers of dairy producers in China. Sanlu recalled its milk powder last week. However, there have been complaints of problems for almost six months. The first child died on May 1 and the second on July 22.

The long time lag has caused complaining in some quarters that the company has been dragging its feet before taking this drastic action. The action is certainly drastic: the MOH says that over 10,000 tons of milk powder have been recalled.

Melamine was also the culprit in the China dog food scandal that occurred last year.

Synutra International (SYUT) reported that it would recall certain lots of its U-smart line of infant formula. The company said that melamine was found in its formula, though at a level of just 150 milligrams per kilogram. The worst offenders produced melamine readings of 2560 mg per kilogram.

Synutra said it did not add the melamine and that its products are tested in accordance with government specifications, which do not include testing for melamine. Synutra said it would cooperate fully with the recall, though it did not say how much of its product would be involved. So far, Synutra has not heard that its formula products caused health problems in any babies.

Synutra also revealed that it would go beyond the strict guidelines of the government order and recall all products that contain milk sourced from the Hebei and Inner Mongolia regions of China. This would include any products in its U-strong line or adult formula products with milk from the region, even though these products have not been found to be tainted.

Altogether, the infant formula products of 22 companies were found to contain melamine.

Disclosure: none

Comments

[huangthomas:]

All attention has been called to melamine. Melamine has a formula of C2N6 and gives a high reading of nitrogen, therefore false high reading of protein. The milk was then diluted with water to increase the volume, thus inflate the price of real milk. But the adulterated milk is used to make milk powder. After water is removed, even 1 to 2% of melamine does not significantly increase the weight of milk powder. Other additive must have been added as well to increase the weight of milk powder, thus the profit. Chinese government should carefully analyze the chemical composition of the adulterated milk powder, not just melamine. There must be more surprise there!

2008 Sep 17 10:48 AM

[huangthomas:]

Before the entire incidence is thoroughly investigated, it is too early to exonerate milk powder manufacturers.

2008 Sep 17 11:16 AM

[David Oliver_:]

Farmers and milk collection agents in China are paid by volume, therefore they can make more money if they add water. Adding melamine falsely raises the protein level during testing covering up the fact that water was added. In many other countries farmers are paid according to milk solids/ components i.e. fat & protein, and so there would be no advantage to adding water.

2008 Sep 17 07:30 PM

[User 142738:]

China-produced formula is exported, though only formally to Taiwan; perhaps other places. Informally, it sneaks into ethnic shops all over the world.

2008 Sep 17 07:50 PM

[huangthomas:]

Good, we are thinking along the same line. If Sanlu purchase water diluted milk to make milk powder, the cost will be prohibitively high after evaporation of water. Other solids must have been added, not just water. Some of the well known candidates of the solids in China are plaster powder, soy powder, whey powder....or other industrial waste products. We'll never know the answer until the adulterated milk powders are thoroughly analysed.

2008 Sep 17 08:09 PM

[hiwind88:]

breaking news: Two babies taking Syntura toxic milk products developed bilateral kidney stones.

v.blog.sohu.com/u/pw/1...

More lawsuits are coming.

The follwing is a comment on the video clip.



More lawsuits are coming.

The follwing is a comment on the video clip.

我是江苏淮安的，儿子今天23个月大，从7个月... 出有结石，我不放心去我们当地的二院检查了一下，结果令我大吃一惊！我儿子双肾结石！今天我又在妇幼保健院复查了一下 ，结果仍然一样，打电话给厂家，厂家还说优博肯... 里的市长热线，质量监督局，卫生局，工商局都反应了，现在还没有下文！我的心情没有办法用语言来形容，只有奉劝大家现 在还在吃优博的家长千万不要再拿小孩来开玩笑了... 237372！！！QQ群 55231222 ，而且最可气的就是百度删除了我3遍帖子，封锁... 转发此文，让更多的人知道这个事情！！！

The English Translation is here.
I am Huai'an, Jiangsu, and today his son 23 months, from 7-month-old to eat when Syntura's Bo excellent series of milk powder, the day before my wife's collegue child ate Bo You have found kidney stone, I do not trust the news. So that I bring my son to a local Second Hospital, to have an examination, and I was shocked by the result! My son has got bilateral kidney stones! I also to have a reexaminaton review at maternal and child health care hospital, the result remains the same, a phone call to manufacturers, the manufacturer said that Bo You has no problem, the country has reported the detection of milk report, and now Syntura does not want to refund the Bo You brand of milk product, I have called Mayor's Hotline, Bureau of Quality Supervision, Health, Trade and Industry Bureau. There is no response so far. My feeling is that there is no way to use any language to describe how I feel now, I advise that parents of any child who is still taking Bo You brand of milk do not make it a joke anymore(i.e. do not overlook the high risk to continue taking Syntura's milk product anymore). Zhu Xiang is my real name, my QQ348858559, telephone [phone]! ! ! QQ group 55231222, and the most annoying is that Baidu to delete my post 3 times, blocked my IP, do not let the people speak! ! ! ! I hope to help parents with a conscience, I forwarded the article to allow more people to know this thing! ! !
======================...

From the above report only, two cases of renal stones have happened already. It seems that Baidu got the money from the milk manufacturor to delet any negative comments on the website. What a shame to Baidu too to hide the facts of toxic milk product victims.

Because of this media suppressing, more cases of victims taking Syntura's toxic milk products have not emerged yet. More truth will eventually exposed.

2008 Sep 22 02:35 PM