FDA Detains Chinese-made Food

Burden of proof now with Chinese manufacturers

The US FDA issued an order which allows districts to detain all foodstuff containing milk and milk products imported from China:

• All milk products
• All milk derived ingredients
• Finished food products containing milk

Importers much prove then that the detained products do not contain melamine before they can be released, shifting the burden of proof to the manufacturer.



FDA Order

Counterfeit Cigarettes

Philippine Customs seized 10 million pesos worth of Marlboro-branded counterfeit cigarettes from China. 

IHT

Wandashan Pharmaceutical Closed

Wandashan Pharmaceutical, which sold tainted herbal injections that killed three people, was closed by Chinese authorities.

Reuters

Contaminated Heparin Seized in Cincy

Federal agents seized more contaminated heparin in Cincinatti. The 11 lots of heparin-contaminated with over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS) - was imported from China by Celsus Laboratories Inc.

CNN

Feed Contamination Serious in China

It seems many Chinese feed manufacturers are adding melamine to their products deliberately. China only banned melamine as an animal feed additive in May 2007.  According to some officials, melamine is commonly added as feed additive even before the scandal involving Sanlu and milk. 

Also,

• China closed 238 feed companies for melamine-related violations in the last 2 months
  
• 3,682 tons of substandard feed destroyed by Chinese government during the same period
  
• more than 500 feed manufacturers and animal breeding farms found to have done illegal and questionable practices

UPI.com

AP

IHT

Oz Withdraws Melamine-Tainted Body Paint

The Australian importer of chocolate and strawberry-flavored Boxer Lovers Body Pen Set will withdraw the said China-made products after testing positive for melamine.

Australian importers previously recalled products including White Rabbit Creamy Candy, Kirin Milk Tea, Orion Tiramisu Italian cake, Dali Yuan brand first milk and Lotte Koala biscuits.

Bloomberg

Melamine Eggs

Hong Kong found another batch of melamine-tainted eggs from China. The eggs came from the Jingshan Agriproducts Company in Hubei Province.  

Melamine-fortified eggs also turned up in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province. The eggs - branded "Ciyunxiang," was produced by Green Living Beings Development Center based in China's northern Shanxi province. They contained 3.5 mg melamine per kg.

NYT
Reuters

Kyrgyzstan Finds Melamine in Flour

Kyrgyzstan found melamine in flour imported from China.

more

Singapore Finds 3 More

Singapore found three more China-made products fortified with industrial chemical melamine: Lotte Koala's March Cocoa Chocolate Biscuit, Hello Kitty Strawberry Cream Filled Biscuit, and an unbranded industrial pack of non-dairy creamer.

ChannelNewsAsia

Melamine in Eggs

Hong Kong found excessive levels of melamine - 4.7 parts per million -  in eggs imported from China. The eggs were produced by Dalian Hanwei Enterprise Group. 

The chickens were probably fed with melamine-fortified feeds.

Hong Kong previously banned eggs from China after a cancer-causing industrial dye, Sudan Red G, was used to color the egg yolks.

Two More

Two more brands of biscuits in the the Philippines tested from melamine: Lotte B+W Koala Biscuit and Lotte Chocolate Snack Koala Biscuit, according to the BFAD.

INQ

Wal-Mart Tightens Rules

Wal-Mart will require its China suppliers to adhere to a strict environmental and ethical standards - including specific social and environmental criteria and outside audits.

The company will, among others, track the origins of the products and ban forced and child labor used for manufacturing them. 

NYT

Delta Cribs Recall

1.6 Million Units

Delta Company of New York will recall 1.6 million cribs that were imported from China (and Taiwan & Indonesia as well).  Two babies already died from the faulty drop side function of the cribs.

The cribs were made between 1995 and 2007 and use a trigger lock design.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following safety tips for all parents who use cribs:

• Parents should not use any crib with missing, broken or loose parts.
• Hardware should be inspected from time to time and tightened to keep the crib sturdy.
• When using a drop side crib parents should check to make sure the drop side or any other moving part operates smoothly on its track.
• Always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Any disengagement can create a gap and entrap a child.
• Do not try to repair any side of the crib without manufacturer approved hardware or with tape, wire or rope.
• Putting a broken side up against the wall does not solve the problem and can often make it worse.

source

Even the Kinky is not Safe

A British sex shop chain suspended the sale of chocolate-flavored body spread imported from China after testing positive for melamine.

The British Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the deadly chemical melamine had been found in Chinese-made "I Love You" sets, which contains chocolate and strawberry body pens and chocolate-flavored penis and nipple spreads. These are sold at Ann Summers sex shops.

The products are:

'I love you' pen set containing:

• Chocolate body pen, 40g, best before: May 2010
• Strawberry body pen, 40g, best before: May 2010
• Chocolate flavoured willy spread, 40g, best before: 2010
• Chocolate flavoured nipple spread, 40g, best before: 2010

The novelty chocolate spreads were manufactured in Zhongshan, China, and imported into Britain by Scobie (Llarn) Lt.

Source

1,500 Chinese raccoon dogs Poisoned by Melamine

About 1,500 raccoon dogs died recently in China after ingesting melamine from the feeds.

The raccoon dogs, which are raised in China for their fur, died due to kidney failure, which they got from eating melamine-laced feed.

The feed,  produced by Harbin Hualong Feed Co., was tested to contain 500 parts per million of melamine.

source

Philippines to Test China Meat Products too

To side with caution, the Philippine National Meat Inspection Commission will also test two China-made canned luncheon meat sold in the country for melamine contamination. The two brands are Maling, made by Shanghai Foods Corp., and Pork Luncheon Meat, manufactured by Cofco Chongging Hechuan Food Industrial Co.

source: INQ

Update: No melamine on the following meat products: 

Argentina corned beef chunky 190 g

Changlong pork luncheon meet 170 g

Great Wall brand premium ham luncheon meat 340 g

Gulong china (Well known mark) pork luncheon meat 340 g

Liberty pork luncheon meat 375 grams

Maling Canned pork luncheon meat 397 g

Maling chunky corned beef 150 g

Maling pork luncheon meat 170 g

Maling pork luncheon 397 grams

Maling premium pork luncheon meat 397 grams

Maling Vienna sausage 140 g

Narcissus brand pork minced with bean paste 185 grams

Narcissus brand premium luncheon meat 397 g

Narcissus brand spiced pork cubes 142 grams

Narcissus brand stewed pork 397 grams

Pure Foods Chinese style luncheon meat 165 grams

Pure Foods corned beef 210 grams

Shanghai brand Chinese luncheon meat (new budget size) 165 grams

Taiwan Bans Baking Ingredient from China

Taiwan bans the importation of ammonium bicarbonate - used as raising agents in baked products - from China after testing positive for melamine contamination.

Tests showed that the ingredient from China contains 70-300 parts per million of melamine, far higher than the safe level of 2.5 ppm. 

Malaysia previously banned the importation of ammonium bicarbonate from China due to melamine contamination.

Herbal Injections Recall

Wandashan Pharmaceutical will recall all of its injectable products. Previously only the sales of the injectable herbal products using a Siberian ginseng called ciwujia were suspended.

Three people already died due to bacterial contamination of the products.

Deadly Herbal Injections

China's State FDA is recalling ciwujia herbal injections for testing positive to bacterial contamination.

Ciwujia is a type of Siberian ginseng, and the tainted herbal injection already resulted to 3 deaths, and three more patients experienced adverse reactions, including vomiting and coma. 

Xinhuanet

Malaysia Bans Baking Ingredient from China

Malaysia will ban the importation of a raising agent - ammonium bicarbonate - from China after testing positive for high levels of melamine, from 33 to 508 parts per million. The maximum allowed is only 2.5 ppm.

The country will also recall 12 brands of Khong Guan biscuits, and six brands of Khian Guan biscuits, which may have utilized the tainted ingredient. 

New Straits Times

Playkids Recalls Convertible Cribs

US Consumer Products Safety Commission and Playkids is recalling convertible cribs made in China.

The sides of the convertible crib are made of a mesh that expands, creating a gap between the mattress and the side through which an infant can slip. This poses suffocation and entrapment hazards for young children. It already resulted to one death in Brooklyn NY last August.

The convertible cribs, which were made in China, were sold in juvenile product retailers in New York from March 2007 through September 2008 for about $100.

Consumers should stop using the recalled convertible cribs immediately and contact Playkids USA to receive a full refund.

For additional information, consumers should contact Playkids USA collect at (718) 797-0302 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

CPSC release

China-made Tear Gas Deadly?

China-made tear gas may have resulted to the death and injuries of Thai protesters, according to a report.  

Thai police shot tear gar canisters to protesters in Bangkok last week, and the RDX explosives contained inside - designed to dispered the gas - reportedly wounded and killed some of the protesters. RDX is not a normal component of tear gas.

Thai police will destroy the remaining 2,000 canisters of China-made tear gas recalled from various agencies.

And Another...

Another China-made product - Lotte Strawberry Snack Koala Biscuit - is found with high levels of melamine in the Philippines.

There are now four diary products that tested positive for the chemical in the country, including Jollycow Slender High Calcium Low Fat Milk, Greenfood Yili Fresh Milk and Mengniu Drink.

Powered Rust Remover Downs Wedding Guests

Powdered rust remover, used to spice up a dish in a wedding banquet, downed 170 guests in northwest China. 

Good thing they did not serve milk tea and White Rabbit candies after dinner. 

more

France Bans Sweets

France banned White Rabbit candies and Koala biscuits from China after the foodstuffs were found to contain high levels of melamine. 

more

Melamine found in Cadburry Candies

Singapore found melamine in two brands of candies imported from China: blueberry and chocolate-flavored Cadbury Choclairs.

HongKong previously recalled the ff Cadbury products:

• Cadbury Dark Chocette, 45 grams.
• Cadbury Dark Chocette, 80 grams.
• Cadbury Eclairs, 180 grams.
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Pumpkin, 150 grams.
• Cadbury Dark Chocolate, 40 grams.
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5 kilograms.
• Cadbury Dark Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5 kilograms.
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Hazelnut Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5 kilograms.
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Cookies Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5 kilograms.
• Cadbury Hazelnut Praline Chocolate (2008 Chinese New Year), 312 grams.
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate (2008 Chinese New Year), 300 gram

94,000 and Counting

Ninety thousand Chinese kids and infants are said to have been sickened by melamine-laced milk in China. 

Officially the Chinese government is saying nothing about how many are victimized by the scandal though.

China Sets Melamine Limit

China's Ministry of Health has set the max limit of melamine in milk products:

• 1 milligram per kg of infant formula
• 2.5 milligrams per kg of liquid milk, milk poweder and food containing at least 15% milk

The tainted milk in China was tested to contain melamine in the amounts ranging from 0.09 milligram to 2563mg  per kg. 

The US FDA previously stated that no amount of melamine in baby formula is to be considered safe, and I don't think I'd be reassured to consume any food that may contain even trace amounts of the toxic substance.

Blacklisted Infant Milk Brands in the Philippines

The Philippine Bureau of Food And Drugs  advises the public to avoid the following infant milk formulas:

Sanlu (Shijiazhuang Sanlu Group Inc.)
Panda Baby (Shanghai Panda Dairy Co. Ltd.)
Syrutra (Syrutra International Inc.)
Gucheng (Shanxi Gucheng Dairy Co. Ltd.)
Hero (Jiangxi Bright & Hero Dairy C)
Huimin/HMDP (Baoji Huimin Milk Co. Ltd.)
Mengniu (Mengniu Dairy)
Kocci (Duojiaduo Dairy Industry Tianjin Co. Ltd.)
Yaahili (Guangdong Yashili Group Co. Ltd.)
Nanshan Beiyi (Hunan Peiyi Dairy Co.)
Heilongjiang Qining Dairy Co.)
Yashili (Shanxi Yashili Dairy Co.)
Jinbishi (Shenzhen Jinbishi Milk Co. Ltd.)
Scient (Guangzhou Shien Dairy Co.)
Jinding (Guangzhou Jinding Dairy Co.)
Yili (Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co.)
Ausmeadow (Ausmeadow Nutriment Co. Ltd.)
Suncare (Aikeding, Qingdao Suncare Nutritional Technology Co. Ltd.)
Yubao (Xi'an Baiyue Dairy Co. Ltd.)
Leilei (Yantai Leilei Dairy Products Co. Ltd.)
Baoanli (Shanghai Bao'anli Dairy Co. Ltd.)
Hikid (Fuding Chenguan Dairy Co. Ltd.)

source

3rd Milk Brand Found with melamine in Philippines

The Philippine Department of Health announced that a third Chinese milk brand - Jolly Cow Slender Milk - is found to be contaminated with melamine.

Melamine Scandal Killing Farmers too

Vietnamese farmers are complaining about their inability to sell milk to factories after the tainted milk scandal in China surfaced - even though they don't put the said chemical on their products. Vietnamese consumers also stop buying milk altogether.  

Vietnam also found 23 milk products from China that were contanimated with melamine, and has recalled about 300 tons of tainted products so far. 

Iran Follows Suit

Joining the growing list of countries shunning Chinese dairy products, Iran said it will also ban the entry of milk products from China.

Melamine in 2 Cadbury Products

Hong Kong has announced it found high levels of melamine in 2 Cadbury products: Cadbury Dairy Milk Cookies Chocolate Bulk Pack 5kg, which contains 6.9 parts per million (ppm) of melamine; and Cadbury Dairy Milk Hazelnut Chocolate Bulk Pack 5 kg, which had 56 ppm of the industrial chemical.

The legal limit for melamine in HK is 2.5 ppm.

IHT

Kimchi This Time

South Korea has banned more and more Chinese-made kimchi, a fermented vegetable side dish, due to unwanted chemicals and unsanitary preparation. 

The imports from China were banned for containing such as tar colors and cyclamates, which are banned from all Korean foods because they carcinogenic. Numerous undocumented additives as well as bugs were found in the foodstuff. 

In 2005  South Korea banned kimchi from China after samples were found to contain parasite eggs.

more here and here 

List of Melamine-free Products in Philippines

These are the brands that tested negative to melamine contamination: 

* Anchor Lite Milk
* Anlene High Calcium, Low Fat Milk
* Bear Brand Instant
* Chic Choc Milk Chocolate
* Farmland Skim Milk
* Jinwei Drink
* Jolly Cow Pure Fresh Milk
* Kiddie Soya Milk Egg Delight
* Lactogen 1 DHA Infant Formula
* M&M Milk Chocolate Candy
* M&M Peanut Chocolate Candy
* Milk Boy
* Nestagen 2 DHA Follow-up Formula
* Nestagen 3 DHA Follow-up Formula
* Nido 3 Plus Pre-bio with DHA
* Nido Full Cream Milk Powder
* Nido Junior
* No Sugar Chocolate of Isomalt 2 Oligosaccharide (cocoa butter substitute)
* Nutri Express Milk Drink
* Pura Fresh Milk
* Snickers (roasted in caramel nogut in thick milk chocolate)
* Vitasoy Soya Milk Drink
* Wahaha Orange
* Wahaha Yellow
* Want Want Milk Drink
* Windmill Skim Milk Powder
* Yinlu Milk Peanut
* Yogi Yogurt Flavor Milk Drink

source: GMA7

BFAD website

2 Milk Brands Positive for Melamine in Philippines

The Philippine BFAD announced that two brands of Chinese milk tested positive for melamine contamination so far: Greenfood Yili Fresh Milk and Mengiu Drink. The agency will impose a total ban for the said products. Stores found selling the said products will also be closed and the owner charged with violation to the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

more

Fake Chips in Military Hardware

Businessweek has a piece about fake computer chips and other components that originated from China winding themselves inside American weapon systems, from F-15 jets and missile systems to bootleg Cisco routers used in military networks and the Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier.

31 Chinese milk brands Tested Positive

Thirty-one more Chinese brands tested positive for melamine contamination. 

Also,

• Singapore Airlines removes all Chinese made food from menu
• Philippines organizes a panel to oversee millk importation, distribution and sale from China
• Milk scandal may have been covered up because of the Beijing Olympics
• Canada recalls Lotte brand Koala's March filled cookies after testing psotive for melamine contamination:
  

All codes of the following Lotte brand filled cookies are affected by the new CFIA advisory:

Koala's March 270 g (10 x 27 g) 0 81900 08010 1

Chestnut Cookies

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

Koala's March 270 g (10 x 27 g) 0 81900 08902 9

Strawberry Creme

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

Koala's March 270 g (10 x 27 g) 0 81900 08911 1

White Chocolate

Creme

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

Koala's March 270 g (10 x 27 g) 0 81900 08001 9

Chocolate Creme

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

Koala's March 50 g 0 81900 00901 0

Chocolate Creme

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

Koala's March 50 g 0 81900 00907 2

Strawberry Creme

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

Koala's March 50 g 0 81900 00911 9

White Chocolate Creme

Nestle Recalls Lipton Milk Tea in HK

Nestle recalled 4 batches of Lipton Milk Tea in Hong Kong and Macau  after they were found to contain melamine. 

In other developments:

• HJ Heinz will stop using milk sourced from China in its baby food products sold in the mainland. Heinz recalled 270 cases of baby food products in HK as a precaution. 
• Singapore found traces of melamine in more China-made products: Dutch Lady-brand banana and honeydew flavored milk, Silang-brand potato crackers and two kinds of puffed rice balls
  
• Thailand found melamine in 20 tons of milk imported from China
• Mali bans Chinese milk products

Update: China Milk Scandal

• Cadbury recalls 11 brands of sweets made in its China factory, including Cadbury Eclairs, dark and milk chocolate, hazelnut and praline chocolate, dark Chocettes, and products made specially for the Chinese New Year (in February). and Dairy Milk Chocolate
• Philippines now requires milk companies to disclose source of milk and ingredients used in milk products. Among the products tested by BFAD are Fonterra fruit flavored milk drinks – Anchor Wam! Fruit Milk Drink Mango Magic, Anchor Wam! Fruit Milk Drink Orange Chill, Anchor Wam! Fruit Milk Drink Strawberry Spin
• Companies in the Philippines, including Nestle and Mars are scrambling to assure their customers about the safety of their products, as consumers cut back on milk product consumption
• Indonesia found traces of melamine in chocolates and biscuits made in China by Kraft Foods and Mars. Products including Oreo, M&Ms and Snickers have been recalled in that country. 
• Laos bans China-made milk and milk products 
• The European Union banned China-made milk products for children
• There is a report that says 1 in 20 children in Shanghai may have been sicked by the tainted milk
• More than a dozen Chinese kids in orphanages were also sickened by the tainted milk
• Lawyers for the tainted milk victims are being told to quit their legals efforts to seek redress from the tragedy
  
  

more: 

BBC

Sky News

Lion Cub, Orangutans Latest Victims of Tainted Milk

Even animals weren't spared by the melamine-tainted milk from China. 

A lion cub and baby orangutans from the Zhejiang province reportedly got kidney problems after zoo keepers fed them with Sanlu milk for more than a year. 

more

Finally

The Philippine Bureau of Food and Drugs finally banned Chinese dairy products. The agency is warning consumers not to buy unlabeled milk that are sold in bulk in Manila's flea markets. 

Melamine found in White Rabbit Candy

Singapore said that it found traces of melamine in White Rabbit Candy. 

I like this stuff, ever since I was a kid. This candy is still available in the Philippines too, especially in Zamboanga - where it can be bought in the barter trade shops.  This candy was banned by BFAD last September for containing formaldehyde. 

more:

Herald Sun

53,000 Children Now Ill in China

The number of children who got sick because of tainted milk is now almost 53,000. All but 12,892 have "basically recovered." 

 

Why is BFAD Not Banning Chinese Dairy Yet?

Hey, BFAD (and DTI and DOH), why aren't you banning Chinese-made dairy and milk products yet? Singapore, Bangladesh, Burma, Brunei and several African countries - Burundi, Gabon and Tanzania did already.

More on the scandal: a Hong Kong girl got sick because of the tainted milk, and there are reports that a China-made Nestle brand milk, Neslac Gold +1 contains traces of melamine. Also, Starbucks in China  removed milk from the menu. 

Malaysia Bans China Dairy Products, and more updates

• Malaysia bans Chinese dairy products, after Singapore and Burma did. I hope the Philippine government will do the same too, quickly. 
  

• Four babies now died because of the tainted infant formula, which was found to contain
  

• Melamine is not water soluble, so to be able to be mixable to milk, it has to be combined with formaldehyde 

• Japan is recalling buns, suspected of being made with China-sourced milk

No Chinese Milk in RP Yet

The Philippine Department of Health said that no Chinese-produced milk has reached the country yet.

The agency is also advising the public not to buy cheap but unlabeled dairy products. 

more here and here

List of Chinese Dairy Companies with Tainted Products

1 Shijiazhuang Sanlu Group Co
2 Shanghai Panda Dairy Co Ltd
3 Synutra International Inc
4 Shanxi Gucheng Dairy Co Ltd
5 Jiangxi Bright & Hero Dairy Co
6 Baoji Huimin Milk Co Ltd
7 Mengniu Dairy
8 Duojiaduo Dairy Industry (Tianjin) Co Ltd
9 Guangdong Yashili Group Co Ltd
10 Hunan Peiyi Dairy Co
11 Heilongjiang Qining Dairy Co
12 Shanxi Yashili Dairy Co Ltd
13 Shenzhen Jinbishi Milk Co Ltd
14 Guangzhou Shien Dairy Co
15 Guangzhou Jinding Dairy Co
16 Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co
17 Ausmeadow Nutriment Co Ltd
18 Qingdao Suncare Nutritional Technology Co Ltd
19 Xi'an Baiyue Dairy Co Ltd
20 Yantai Leilei Dairy Products Co Ltd
21 Shanghai Bao'anli Dairy Co Ltd
22 Fuding Chenguan Dairy Co Ltd

source

Fake Flash Chips Rampant in China

TGDaily has a story about the spread of fake flash memory chips in China. The bootleg NAND chips, used for storage devices such as USB drives, are usually sold as Samsung-branded ones. Most of the fake chips does not even have a die inside.

No More Chinese-made Food for me

I don't think I will ever consume China-made foodstuff ever again. With all these news about melamine and what-not being used as food "extenders," it will be like playing a Russian roulette if I do. 

22 Companies Now involved in Tainted Milk, Melamine in Yoghurt

Twenty-two companies and 69 brands - 22% of the brands tested - are now suspected of selling melamine-tainted milk in China. 

Melamine, which is high in nitrogen, was used to fool the test that measures protein content of the milk. There are now 6,244 babies sickened by melamine-laced milk, with 3 deaths and 158 with acute kidney failure. 

Fonterra of  New Zealand, which owns part of Sanlu, the company at the center of the scandal, also recalleda batch of Anmum Materna, which is produced under license by Sanlu and sold in China as supplement for pregnant women. (I think there's an Anmum brand sold in the Philippines, I hope there's no Chinese-made component in those. BFAD, are you checking this?)

The chemical was also found in Yili brand of yoghurt, in Hong Kong. 

Sources: Bloomberg, Stuff.co.nz, WSJ

Fonterra

Update on Infant Formula Scandal

• 1,253 babies now affected
• 340 infants hospitalized
• another baby died because of the melamine-laced milk
• more than 10,000 tons of milk recalled 

Milk Scare Worsens

The infant formula incident in China is now approaching catastrope level - there are now 432 babies who got kidney stones from the melamine-tainted milk. 

BBC

More on Infant Formula Scandal

• The maker of the tainted infant formula, Sanlu Group, is recalling 700 tons more of baby formula, after removing 8,000 from stores
• Melamine is confirmed as the culprit
• FDA is advising consumers to avoid Chinese-made formula
• Contamination was known since August 6
• 59 babies were affected, 1 died

Useful links:

Sanlu Group, http://www.sanlu.com

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, http://www.fda.gov

Infant Milk Scare in China

Substandard infant formula - marked Sanlu brand - is suspected to have caused babies to develop kidney stones in Gansu, China.  So far 14 infants were affected but the incident is already causing a stir.

This is not the first time to happen though. In 2004, substandard infant formula resulted to 13 infant fatalities due to maltuntrition, and 170 others hospitalized. 

more

UPDATE: 

• One infant died because of the tarnished milk (Rednet)
• The infant formula contains melamine (USA Today). Melamine was the culprit that downed hundreds of cats and dogs in a pet food scandal in China last year. 

Funny Stuff

Found this gem by Andy Borowitz: 

China's impressive haul of gold medals at the Beijing Olympics was tarnished somewhat today when it was revealed that "abnormally high levels of lead" were found in the first-place medallions.

The medals, which were supposed to be made entirely of gold, were instead found to be composed of 99 percent lead alloy and coated with a gold-colored lead-based paint.

MP4 Players' Radiation Risk

The Inquirer has a story about the radiation risks posed by Chinese-made MP4 players. 

The report says that the Shanghai Administration for Industry and Commerce found these mp4 players emit dangerous levels of electromagnetic radiation. 

The agency also found that the advertised storage capacity of such players are misstated by 6 percent.

In another report, the same agency found that 75% of such players are substandard. 

Fake Olympics

It seems that fakery is not limited to goods - but events as well.

China replaced a child singer with a fake one during the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, after officials decided that the original singer do not represent the motherland enough(really? Mao has really bad teeth), on the account that she had crooked teeth and not cute enough. So they substituted her with somebody more suitable, who lip-sync 'the Ode to the Motherland.'

Also, the fireworks shown during the opening wasn't all real - they are CG-generated, painstakingly rendered in computers months ahead.

(pic: top: fake fireworks; bottom: the child singer with "crooked teeth")

Conan O'Brien monologue

China has announced that they are shutting down several of their largest factories for the rest of the summer, so there will be less pollution for the Olympics. Yeah. Chinese officials say, “Sorry, but for the next couple of months, you’re going to have to buy your lead-coated toys somewhere else.”

Used Condom as Hairband

I'm not sure if this is true or just an urban legend:

BEIJING (AFP) - Used condoms are being recycled into hair bands in southern China , threatening to spread sexually-transmittable diseases they were originally meant to prevent, state media reported Tuesday.

In the latest example of potentially harmful Chinese-made products, rubber hair bands have been found in local markets and beauty salons in Dongguan and Guangzhou cities in southern Guangdong province, China Daily newspaper said. 'These cheap and colourful rubber bands and hair ties sell well ...threatening the health of local people,' it said. Despite being recycled, the hair bands could still contain bacteria and viruses, it said.

'People could be infected with AIDS, (genital) warts or other diseases if they hold the rubber bands or strings in their mouths while waving their hair into plaits or buns,' the paper quoted a local dermatologist who gave only his surname, Dong, as saying. A bag of ten of the recycled bands sells for just 25 sen (three cents), much cheaper than others on the market, accounting for their popularity, the paper said.

A government official was quoted as saying recycling condoms was illegal. China 's manufacturing industry has been repeatedly tarnished this year by a string of scandals involving shoddy or dangerous goods made for both domestic and foreign markets. In response, it launched a public relations blitz this summer aimed at playing up efforts to strengthen monitoring systems.

FBI Investigates Counterfeit Routers from China

The Federal Bureau of Investigations is looking into reports that the US military has bought fake Cisco routers from China. The probe called Cisco Raider has uncovered that more than 3,500 such devices were sold to different departments in the US government.


more here

Attack of the Clones

Cloned Phones Rampant in China

The Inquirer has a story about the proliferation of fake mobile phones in China. According to the site, roughly 60% of all handsets in China are clones of the real things.

These these are reaching places other than China too. A friend of mine recently bought a phone he thought was a genuine Nokia, but apparently is not.

Joke Time

from a Jay Leno monologue:

"Well, even China pitching in for Green Week. From now on, all toys from China will now be made with recycled lead."

Heparin Update

The US FDA has said it identified tainted heparin from China in 11 countries. The countries are: Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States.

more here

Tainted Heparin May Have Killed 62

Reports suggest that the tainted heparin from China may have caused 62 fatalities, up from previous 19.

Heparin, a dialysis drug, is made from the mucous membrane of pig intestines, and is sourced largely from China.

Heparin Contaminant Identified

The contaminant in the recalled heparin from China has been identified - oversulfated condroitin sulfate.

Heparin made by Baxter was previously recalled after patients who took the blood thinner experienced severe allergic reactions after taking the drug. 

US Senate to Ban Lead in Toys

The US Senate is close to passing a bill that would ban lead in toys. The bill was in response to the rash of reports about China-made toys containing toxic amounts of lead.

Recalled Heparin Contains Contaminant

FDA has found that the drug heparin, recalled by Baxter recently, contains a contaminant. The drug, which originated in China, was suspected in at least 4 deaths, with the number of fatalities as high as 19. The contaminant resulted in severe allergic reactions that could lead to death.


more here

Baxter Recalls Heparin

Baxter International Inc. will voluntarily recall all of its heparin sodium injection products, including single-dose, multidose, and and HEP-LOCK heparin flush products. The drugs are recalled after U.S. regulators reported “objectionable conditions” at the Chinese factory where an ingredient for the drug is supplied.

Bleeding Valentines

Valentine lollipops from China are reported to contain pieces of metal - staples and parts of razor blades, and its importer, Sherwood Brands, is voluntarily recalling the sweets.

Decorative and Jar Candles Recalled

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls Wick & Petal Co. jar candles and Pottery Barn decorative candles - all made in China - due to safety issues. The Wick & Petal jar candles can burn with high flame, and the Pottery Barn candles have external coatings that can ignite, according to the CPSC.

Wick & Petal Co. may be contacted at 317-44-8008, and collect calls are accepted on their main number. Pottery Barn has a toll free number, at 888-922-9245.

Picture Frames with Lead

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling Babies 'R' Us hanging photo frames due to high lead content on its surface paint. The 4-inch-by-6-inch photo frames were imported from China by The Gift Wrap Co. of Atlanta.

The Gift Wrap Co. may be contacted at 800-443-4429 for a refund.

Bikes Recalled

Pacific Cycle Inc. of Madison Wisconsin is recalling the made in China InStep "Pathfinder," Schwinn "Run About" and Mongoose "Alley Cat" trailer bicycles. The bicycles have faulty welds in the couplers between tow-bars connecting children's "wagon bikes" to adults' bicycles, which may fail.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is urging owners to disconnect the recalled "wagon bikes," from adult bikes. Pacific Cycle ay be contacted at (877) 564-2261, during weekday business hours.

Useful URLs:
www.tulsaworld.com/instep
www.tulsaworld.com/schwinnbikes
www.tulsaworld.com/mongoose

Viagra-Laced Supplements

The United States Food and Drug Administration warns of China-made dietary supplements that contain sildenafil, the active ingredient of Viagra, a popular treatment for erectile dysfunction.

FDA issued a statement warning consumers not to purchase or use the following products: Super Shangai, Strong Testis, Shangai Ultra, Shangai Ultra X, Lady Shangai, and Shangai Regular, also marketed as Shangai Chaojimengnan.


Sildenafil reacts with nitrates and can cause blood pressure to drop in dangerous levels.