January 7, 2010

Chinese authorities keep Shanghai tainted milk case secret for a year

Chinese authorities kept an investigation into a Shanghai dairy a secret for a year before the public became aware last week that the company had been shut for producing melamine-tainted milk.

Authorities in Shanghaifound contamination in products from Shanghai Panda Dairy Co. Ltd. in December 30, 2008, and launched an investigation last February but it was only last Thursday (Dec 31) that Shanghai's food safety bureau announced the closure of the dairy.

The apparent delay in notifying the public about the case raises questions about the effectiveness of China's efforts to better regulate its food industry despite several food scares in recent years.

China passed a food safety law early last year promising tougher penalties for makers of tainted products. It is stipulated that authorities must immediately inform the public when food products have been found unsafe for consumption.

An official with the country's product safety watchdog said the case was withheld from the public because it had come under criminal investigation by police.