Baby dies as milk scare spreads across China

TAINTED milk formula has killed one baby and caused the development of kidney stones in dozens of others who may have drunk the same product, Chinese authorities said yesterday, in a grim reminder of a milk-powder scandal that killed 13 infants four years ago.

Traces of cyanuramide, which can cause kidney stones, were found in Sanlu-brand milk formula, the Ministry of Health said.

The Sanlu Group issued an immediate recall of milk formula made before August 6.

Doctors in Gansu Province, in north-western China, told the Xinhua news agency that “fake milk powder” from one brand could have been responsible for kidney stones developing in 14 patients, all infants under 11 months.

Parents of the affected babies, mostly from poor and remote areas, said they had bought the powder much more cheaply than usual, Xinhua said.

Gansu health authorities were aware of the problem as early as July 16, after a local hospital reported seeing 16 babies with kidney stones who had all drunk the same brand of formula, Xinhua said, without explaining the delay in the disclosure.

Dozens of other cases of babies developing kidney stones had been reported in Gansu this year. It was unclear whether they had drunk the same brand of milk formula.

A Sanlu Group spokesman surnamed Cui said the powder might have been mislabelled and that “someone” might be counterfeiting their product, Xinhua said.

Sanlu Group, based in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, is partly owned by New Zealand dairy export giant Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd.

In a statement carried by the New Zealand Press Association, Fonterra said its Chinese partner was moving to ensure its products were safe.