February 24, 2009
China health officials declare Mengniu's milk additive safe
Osteoblast milk protein, or OMP, found in one of Mengniu Dairy's premium products is "not harmful to human health," according to an online statement posted by the China's Ministry of Health (MOH).
Two weeks earlier, the ministry ordered Mengniu to halt production of its OMP-containing product, Milk Deluxe, while it conducted tests to ensure the additive is safe.
OMP is imported from New Zealand via a Shanghai-based food technology company and has safety certification from the New Zealand Food Safety Authority, MOH said in its online statement Friday (Feb 20).
The MOH and other regulating agencies said the Inner Mongolia-based dairy firm did not inform them that they used OMP in its production. However, Mengniu could still face penalties for its actions while the MOH added that the milk protein has not been approved as an additive and requires state approval for import and application.
The company told a press conference Saturday (Feb 21) that it would not recall Milk Deluxe already in the market as the additive has been declared safe by health authorities.
Mengniu described OMP as a "common food material" used in overseas markets and added it has been used in milk products in Japan, South Korea, the US and Taiwan.
