October 17, 2008

Major Chinese dairy producers Yili and Mengniu, which were caught in the melamine frenzy weeks ago, said sales have recovered to 80 percent of the normal level before the tainted milk scandal.

Yili executive president Zhang Jianqiu said the companies had taken measures to ensure its products are free of melamine, an industrial chemical added to watered down milk to make the protein levels appear higher.

Mengniu's sales plunged 96 percent in the first few days after the scandal broke out in mid-September, according to Mengniu president Yang Wenjun.

Mengniu has since installed Global Position System (GPS) on every milk truck and monitored the milk collection centres round the clock in a bid to ensure quality.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health said 5,824 infants were still receiving treatment in hospitals nationwide for kidney diseases caused by tainted powdered milk, with six in critical conditions.