There has been yet another health scare from China. The news has been full of stories about toxic milk powder produced by the Sanlu Group, which has led to babies developing kidney stones. While consumers can check to ensure the tins of powdered milk they are using do not contain Chinese-made powder, the greater concern is that many companies use milk powder in their products. How can people ensure that cakes and puddings, bread, moon cakes, teashop drinks and many other items are safe to consume? The exact distribution of the contaminated powder in Taiwan is still unknown, adding yet more uncertainty to a Mid-Autumn Festival already tormented by Typhoon Sinlaku.
This latest health scare caused by inferior Chinese products has highlighted the serious holes in Taiwan’s defense against such products. Apparently 25 tonnes of the contaminated powder was imported into this country. The Department of Health (DOH) has sent staff members to Kuishan Township, Taoyuan County, to seal 393 sacks in storage there but 605 sacks had already been sold. Much of the powder may already have been consumed. This is a major food safety crisis.
The government’s import controls must be reviewed. Customs currently samples just five lots out of every 100 lots imported, which is why they missed Sanlu’s milk powder in June. But even if inspectors had checked more lots, they may still have missed the contaminated milk powder, since melamine is not part of checks required by the health department.
The department should quickly amend its inspection requirements, and the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection should increase the proportion of samples required to be tested. All Chinese dairy products should now be tested for melamine and Sanlu’s products should be completely banned. Even if Chinese tests show that a product is uncontaminated, Taiwan’s inspectors should take their own test samples.
If another Chinese brand of milk powder is found to contain melamine, the import ban should be expanded to include all Chinese dairy products.
Is has been frightening to see how China’s health and food safety authorities have procrastinated and tried to avoid responsibility for this latest poisoning case, with apparent disregard for human life. There were reports that babies in China were getting sick from toxic milk powder beginning in March. Patient histories were leaked to the media in mid-June, but milk powder was still allowed to be sold in China and exported abroad. Sanlu said it discovered that its milk powder contained melamine early last month, but its products were only recalled on Thursday.
Domestically, the response from health and customs authorities was also slow in coming. The DOH showed a total lack of awareness in this latest case; while in previous scares, such as the poisoned dumplings, pet food and toothpaste, officials checked Chinese imports as soon as the news broke. Wire agencies reported on Thursday that hundreds of Chinese babies had been sickened by toxic milk powder, yet there was no reaction from the DOH. The Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) issued a press release about the issue on Friday evening. But it was only later that night that the DOH told the Taoyuan County Public Health Bureau about the problem. The Taoyuan bureau sent officials to the importer around midnight on Friday, but it was Saturday before they could look into the matter properly.
The failure of the DOH to quickly investigate the case should be the focus of an inquiry. But the SEF should also make it an urgent priority to establish closer cross-strait mechanisms for reporting food safety issues. Taiwan’s food and health authorities should increase their inspection of Chinese food product imports and strengthen checks to ensure food safety controls.
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