Police in Fuyang City of east China's Anhui Province has
detained five principal wholesale dealers who sold substandard milk
powder that led to the death of 13 infants.
Two wholesale dealers, named Ma Lanhua and Liu Biao, have
revealed the places where they had bought the milk powder.
During a raid on milk powder markets in Fuyang City, the
industrial and commercial department found 42 cases of substandard
milk powder.
The inspection showed 45 types of substandard milk powder were
sold on the retail market in Fuyang City. They were produced by 141
factories in Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Shandong, Hebei, Hubei and
Jiangxi provinces, Beijing and Shanghai municipalities and Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region. The products are sold in 149
brands.
The local government is working hard to find the source of
inferior milk powder.
According to a recent investigation, 171 infants suffered from
malnutrition after being fed with milk powder deficient in protein
and other nutrients. Thirteen infants have died and two are still
being treated in hospital.
Inferior milk powder victims to be compensated
The families of babies who died of nutritional deficiencies from
consuming substandard milk powder in east China's Anhui Province
will be given compensation of 10,000 yuan (US$1,204), according to
a decision made by the Fuyang City Government Wednesday.
Sick infants still being treated at hospital will be exempted
from all medical charges, which will be shared by the local
government and the relief sector, the decision said.
The medical department in Fuyang City is mobilizing medical
experts to help the sick babies.
According to hospitals at or above the county level in Fuyang
City of Anhui Province, since May last year, 171 infants suffered
from malnutrition after being fed with milk powder deficient in
protein and other nutrients. The majority of them live in rural
areas in Fuyang City. The parents bought cheap milk powder which
contained little nutritional ingredients at rural shops in
Fuyang.
Thirteen infants have died, with a mortality of 7.6 percent. Of
the total, 155 were in Fuyang City, where 12 of the deaths
occurred.
The Fuyang Consumers' Association has received 19 complaints and
determined compensation of 81,200 yuan (US$9,783).
(Xinhua News Agency April 22, 2004)