Wen Jiabao blames chinese government for milk scandal

Beijing, October 19: It took lives of three babies and the well being of thousands of others to wake up to this grave reality. Dairy suppliers in China had been adding the industrial chemical melamine to watered-down milk. This addition to milk not only hoodwinked the quality-control tests, but also made the milk appear rich in protein.

In an exceptional admittance, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao took the blame on the government. He said that the government was partially to be blamed for the scandal that has shaken the consumer confidence.

"We feel that although problems occurred at the company, the government also has a responsibility," he said. He admitted that government had a laidback approach in "supervision and management".

Melamine is an organic base and a trimer of cyanamide. It contains 66 percent nitrogen by mass and, if mixed with resins, has fire retardant properties due to its release of nitrogen gas when burned or charred. Melamine is used in the manufacturing of plastics, fertilizer, paint and adhesives. Melamine is also a metabolite of cyromazine, a pesticide.

Health experts state that intake of small doses of Melamine are innocuous, however, ingesting the chemical in larger doses can lead to kidney stones and subsequent failure. Infants, they say, are particularly susceptible to dangers of this chemical.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in China found allowable amounts of melamine in liquid milk during a fresh round of random tests. It had selected samples from 544 batches of liquid milk from 70 brands in 22 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Harbin.

Meanwhile, Mr. Wen urged that the entire process of milk production and making milk based products needs to have clear standards and testing requirements. He said, "I once again solemnly emphasize that it is absolutely impermissible to sacrifice people's lives and health in exchange for temporary economic development. Food, all food, must meet international standards."

This is not the first time Chinese products have gained a notorious reputation as they have been hammered by quality scandals earlier also.