Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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September 21, 2008

WHO Working With China as Milk Scandal Spreads
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1E4DA4E:A6F02AD83191E1608BC972AAB97371652A201403E89ED254&
 
WHO's Western Pacific director Shigeru Omi tells reporters in Manila
Sunday that China moving in the 'right direction' by recalling products
and stepping up food safety inspections 
The World Health Organization says it is working closely with Chinese
authorities to contain the threat of tainted milk, which some fear may
spread beyond China's borders. Chinese shopper looks at a notice posted
on Mengniu milk products at a Wal-Mart store in Beijing, 21 Sep 2008The
WHO's Western Pacific director Shigeru Omi told reporters in Manila
Sunday that China is moving in the "right direction" by recalling
products and stepping up food safety inspections. But he said the
Chinese government needs to improve both its laboratory testing
facilities and its reporting systems, noting that government agencies
failed to communicate with each other at the start of the scandal. Milk
contaminated with the chemical melamine has been blamed for killing four
infants and sickening more than 62-hundred children in China. Malaysia
and Singapore have banned milk from China. Burmese authorities are
promising to seize and destroy Chinese milk products. In Hong Kong,
health officials confirmed Saturday that a three-year-old girl has
developed a kidney stone after drinking a contaminated milk beverage
from China's Yili dairy for the last 15 months. The Assciated Press is
reporting that Hong Kong health officials have found a small amount of
melamine in Chinese-made Nestle brand milk. The current scandal was
originally limited to infant formula. But now 22 dairies have been found
selling products tainted with the chemical that can cause foods to
appear to be higher in protein. A melamine-laced ingredient was also
found in pet and animal feeds that sickened thousands of animals in the
United States last year. Eighteen people have been arrested in
connection with the milk scandal. Six of those allegedly sold the
chemical, while the other 12 were suppliers accused of contaminating the
milk.


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