January 4, 2010

Chinese authorities have yet again closed down another dairy factory and arrested three of its managers over the factory's production of melamine-tainted milk.

A recent probe uncovered that the Shanghai Panda Dairy Co. Ltd. was using contaminated milk substances, containing high levels of melamine which can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure.

The company was producing milk powder tainted with melamine, the same industrial chemical that was responsible for one of China's most serious food safety scandals more than a year ago.

At least six children died in 2008 after drinking a contaminated baby formula and more than 300,000 fell ill.

Sun Yeyao, an official with the Shanghai Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, said that three managers of Panda Dairy were prosecuted after batches of milk powder were found to contain excessive melamine.