Tainted baby milk scandal: 6200 now sick

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China's government dispatched thousands of inspectors to monitor milk powder producers as officials reported that the number of babies to have fallen ill after being fed tainted formula had climbed to nearly 6200, up from 1200 in one day.

At least three children have died and more than 1,300 others, mostly newborns, remain hospitalised with dozens suffering from acute kidney failure.

Health Minister Chen Zhu said yesterday he expected the numbers of affected babies to increase as "more and more parents take kids to the hospital."

The head of China's quality control watchdog agency, Li Changjiang, said 5000 inspectors will be sent out nationwide to monitor companies after government testing showed that 20 per cent of the companies producing milk powder had dairy products with melamine.

The emerging crisis has raised questions about the effectiveness of tighter controls China promised after a series of food scares in recent years over contaminated seafood, toothpaste and pet food exports.

It is the second major case in recent years involving baby formula. In 2004, more than 200 Chinese infants suffered malnutrition and at least 12 died after being fed phony formula that contained no nutrients.

In a sign of the government's concern, Premier Wen Jiabao presided over a meeting yesterday of China's Cabinet to back plans for a national inspection of milk products, according to a notice on the government's website.

Suppliers to the dairy companies are believed to have added the banned chemical, normally used in plastics, to watered-down milk to make it appear higher in protein. Inspectors will now start testing for melamine in all dairy products, Li said.

Yesterday, the country's two largest dairy companies, Mengniu Dairy Co and Yili Industrial Group Co, were among the companies forced to recall baby formula. In addition, Guangdong-based Yashili and Qingdao-based Suncare recalled their tainted milk powder, which is exported to five countries in Africa and Asia: Bangladesh, Yemen, Gabon, Burundi and Burma.

So far, all the sick infants in China were found to have consumed milk powder produced by the company at the heart of the crisis, Sanlu Group Co, Chen said.

Sanlu's general manager Tian Wenhua, who was fired a day earlier, was detained by police yesterday, the Xinhua news agency said. Four milk suppliers have been arrested.

China's health minister said that 6,244 babies fell ill after being fed tainted milk formula, and that 158 were suffering from acute kidney failure. Chen reported the death of a third baby in eastern Zhejiang province but gave no details.