A group of investigators sent by the State Council, China's
cabinet, have confirmed that the inadequate nutritional value of
some substandard milk powder sold in local markets is to blame for
the illness of a number of infants in Fuyang City, east China's Anhui
Province.
A total of 189 babies, all born after May 1, 2003, were found to
be suffering from malnutrition after they were fed the inferior
products over a period of time. Thirteen died.
Ignoring official standards for the production of infant food,
producers replaced the required nutritional elements in part or in
whole with starch and sugar. The investigators found that the
inferior milk powder was widely sold in rural areas around Anhui
Province.
In a related development, police in Fuyang have detained five
people involved in the sale of the fake milk products.
Professor Chen Xingliang, a law expert from prestigious Peking
University, says that these people may face charges of making and
selling counterfeit products. Those who are found guilty of selling
fake products worth 2 million yuan (US$240,000) could be sentenced
to jail terms of 15 years to life, plus fines ranging from 50 to
200 percent of the illegal sales.
Recent media reports on the number of infants suffering
malnutrition led to Premier Wen Jiabao's order for an immediate
investigation into the quality of infant-use milk powder.
(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2004)