FACTBOX: China candy, milk, desserts tested around the globe

Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:51am EDT
 
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(Reuters) - Countries across Asia and around the world have begun checks on China-made milk products and banned sweets, desserts and other products, as China's melamine-tainting scandal ripples through global supply chains. Here are some details on different countries' reactions: AUSTRALIA: -- Testing small products such as China-made lollies including White Rabbit Creamy Candies, a popular Chinese brand milk candy already recalled in Singapore because of melamine contamination. No China-made infant formula products, or milk, is imported into the country. BANGLADESH: -- Three Chinese powdered milk brands, Sanlu, Suncare and Yashili, have been banned in Bangladesh. -- Melamine tests will be carried out on all milk powder imports at Bangladeshi seaports. BHUTAN: -- Bhutan banned Chinese milk products on Tuesday, and is investigating any such products sold in the country. BRUNEI: -- All Chinese milk products banned by Health Ministry, even though Brunei does not directly import dairy products from China. BURUNDI: -- Burundi banned the import and sale of Chinese milk products on Saturday, along with another Central African state, Gabon. CANADA: -- Recalled boxes of Chinese dessert mix called "Nissin Retort Pouch Cha Cha Dessert," which contains a Yili milk product, after it fails tests in Hong Kong. Expanded checks on other Chinese dairy products. CHINA: -- Powdered and fresh milk products have been pulled from the 22 companies named as having sold melamine contaminated milk. -- Coffee chain Starbucks pulled milk from Mengniu Dairy, whose product tested positive, from its 300 outlets in China. HONG KONG: -- All Yili products including milk, ice-cream, ice-bars, and yoghurt products, recalled last Thursday. -- Nestle milk powder taken off shelves after a newspaper reported it contains melamine. The Swiss food group says it is confident its products are melamine-free. However its Nestle Dairy Farm Pure Milk tested positive for the toxic compound at the territory's food safety center. -- "Nissin Retort Pouch Cha Cha Dessert," which contains a Yili milk product, recalled by Nissin Foods Company Limited after testing positive for melamine. THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU): -- The EU does not import milk or milk products from China. But the 27-nation group's top food safety agency will this week issue a scientific opinion on whether processed foods, such as biscuits, containing milk products from China pose a risk to human health. INDONESIA: -- Banned imports of China dairy products on Tuesday. INDIA: -- Checks will be stepped up on imported milk products, though no reported imports from affected companies. JAPAN: -- Marudai Food Co. Ltd withdrew five types of buns made with milk imported from China's Yili dairy firm. -- It recalled 30,154 packs of black and white "Cream Panda" sold buns to Nissin Healthcare Food Service, and 3,310 packs of five types of buns from supermarkets. MALAYSIA: -- Has banned all Chinese milk imports. Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said on Friday that Malaysia only imports dairy products from Australia and New Zealand. MYANMAR: -- Chinese producers Yashili and Suncare said last week they would recall milk formula from five countries including Myanmar. There have been no reports of children falling ill from contaminated milk powder in Myanmar. NEW ZEALAND: -- Food safety officials are testing White Rabbit Creamy Candy, after it was recalled in Singapore. PHILIPPINES: -- Milk products from China are being randomly tested. The Philippines will ban them if melamine contamination is found, the health minister said on Monday. SINGAPORE: -- White Rabbit Creamy Candy pulled from shelves after being found to be contaminated with melamine on Sunday. -- On Sept 19 the city state banned the import and sale of milk products from China after finding melamine in two China-made products -- "Dutch Lady" strawberry flavored milk, and "Yili Brand" dairy fruit bar yoghurt flavored ice confection. SOUTH KOREA: -- No melamine found in products containing China-made powdered milk in tests by the Korea Food and Drug Administration. TAIWAN: -- All China-made dairy products banned on Sunday, a milk testing station set up for consumers in Taipei on Monday. -- Local firm King Car Group recalled 120,000 boxes of China dairy products on Sunday, after eight types of items containing milk powder, including an instant soup and seven flavors of powdered coffee drinks, tested positive for melamine. THAILAND: -- Thailand says it has not imported any baby milk products from the Chinese companies named in the scandal. -- Tests on imported powdered milk have not found any melamine, the Food and Drug Administration said last week. VIETNAM: -- Inspectors have stepped up checks and sent alerts around the country after tests found melamine in imported Yili brand milk seized in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday. Source: Reuters (Compiled by Gillian Murdoch; Editing by Alex Richardson)

 

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