Authorities in Burma say imported brands of milk and powdered baby
formula have been contaminated with an industrial chemical involved in
the latest Chinese product safety scandal.
The state-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar says nine of 16 products tested positive for melamine.
The
Health Ministry has destroyed the tainted products, and has withdrawn
the other products from the marketplace. It has also temporarily
suspended imports of other milk products.
More than 50,000
Chinese children were sickened, four of them fatally, after consuming
milk powder contaminated with melamine. More than 10,000
children in China remain hospitalized.
Melamine is primarily
used in plastics, fertilizers and flame retardants. Authorities
suspect it was added to milk to make it appear richer in protein.
The
scandal has led to the arrests of 27 people in China, and the recall or
prohibition of Chinese-made milk products by more than 50 nations.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
