Milk scare: EU nations on guard
2008-09-19 14:05
Brussels - The European Commission has asked EU nations to be on the look out for any Chinese milk products entering the bloc, even though none is officially imported, amid a contaminated milk crisis in China.
The commission "has ... asked member states to boost border controls for all milk products coming from China," a spokesperson on health issues told reporters.
She underlined that China does not export milk products to the EU, but the idea is to ensure that no such produce slips through the net from a third country.
Chinese authorities initially blamed the chemical melamine for killing four babies and sickening more than 6 000 others, with symptoms including kidney stones, being unable to pass urine, and vomiting.
But there were fears that the problem could be much bigger after other dairy products were found to be at risk of contamination, leading to mass recalls.
- AFP