Six Arrested In China's Melamine Scandal
(Beijing) -- Chinese police have arrested six people suspected of making and selling melamine, the chemical at the heart of that country's scandal over tainted dairy products. The arrests were the result of an investigation into melamine contamination at two major dairy companies in China. Thousands of Chinese children have fallen ill with kidney problems and four have died after drinking milk formula laced with melamine.
The arrests were made as a laboratory in Hong Kong discovered excessive amounts of melamine in two types of Cadbury chocolate made in China. The firm recalled the chocolate last week as a precaution. Melamine may have been added to milk and dairy products to deceive government protein-content tests. Since melamine has a high nitrogen content, it can cause the protein content of food to appear higher than it actually is. |