Food Poisoning With MilkÂ
First reports of a deadly Chinese milk scandal broke out on July 16, 2008, in Gansu Province. Sixteen babies had developed kidney stones after being fed powdered milk produced by the Sanlu Group, the state-owned dairy company. The cause was the addition of melamine to milk and baby formula.
After an inquiry, it was determined that the company had ignored reports of sick babies in 2007 and only began carrying out tests the following year. According to media accounts, the company tried to cover up the scandal to avoid negative publicity.
By November 2008, this contamination had affected up to 300,000 individuals, with 54,000 babies hospitalized and six deaths due to kidney damage. It’s believed that melamine was added to the milk to make it seem higher in protein. After the scandal, there were two executions, a suspended death sentence, two 15-year prison terms, and three-lifetime sentences that were handed out.
