The Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs last night confirmed that the China-made milk powder suspected to have killed one baby and sickened dozens had been imported to Taiwan.
The Department of Health (DOH) was still checking whether these products had made it to stores in Taiwan, said Wang Je-chau (王哲超), director of the DOH’s Public Relations Office.
“We will find out the channels of distribution and quantity of shipment. Then we will have the products taken off the shelves immediately,” he said.
25 TONNES
The comments came in response to a Central News Agency report that cited the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine as saying that the Sanlu brand milk powder had been imported to Taiwan this June.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) said it received information yesterday afternoon showing that the Sanlu Group had exported 25 tonnes of the milk powder in 25kg packages to Taiwan in June.
NOTIFICATION
The CNA report quoted TAO Spokesperson Yang Yi (楊毅) as saying that the office had informed Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation via the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait as soon as it received the information.
John Deng (鄧振中), deputy minister of economic affairs, told reporters last night that the ministry had informed BSMI personnel stationed at harbors to pay close attention to imports of milk powder from China.
BLOCK
BSMI personnel would not allow the questionable products to pass customs, he said.
Hsieh Ting-hung (謝定宏), deputy director-general at the DOH’s Bureau of Food Safety, said that the products were imported by the Fonterra (ING) Ltd’s Taiwan branch.
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Also See: <a href="http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2008/09/13/2003423067">Chinese authorities launch nationwide milk powder probe</a>
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