Milk Safe To Drink Here?

[kmart]

The number of incidents of poisoning due to industrial chemical "Melamine" being used to boost protein levels in Chinese milk powder is said to be in the thousands already, with other cases now starting emerge outside the country. Some other Asian and African countries have now banned all Chinese milk product imports.

Would anyone care to comment about the safety of milk products on the shelves here in Thailand? Does Thailand import Chinese milk products...??

link to story

[WinnieTheKhwai]

It says on the box where it's made.

[Dakhar]

It says on the box where it's made.

It may say "where it is made" but there are ways around that. 55 gallon drums can be shipped from China to Maylasia, then placed in 1 quart tubs, labled with some company name and shipped on from there.

Good luck trying to get to the bottom of this

[Cuban]

I would 'guess' liquid fresh milk is locally produced, items containing milk products might be made with dodgy Chinese milk products.

[Scott]

When the story first broke, I made sure I was only using fresh dairy products. Anything that looks like it might have milk powder added to it, I would stay away from for a while. I went to buy some cheese yesterday and noticed a lot of Chinese written on the label and decided not to buy it.

I highly doubt that most of us would run into a problem here in Thailand, but it's easier to be safe than sorry. I would be especially careful if I had kids.

I don't have much of a taste for those high priced imported cheeses from Europe, but I think if I get a craving, that's what I'll be using for a while!

[lazeeboy]

buy a cow

[nonthaburial]

Chinese produced cheese ???? Hard to fathom this statement as from my experience majority of Chinese detest it.

[steveromagnino]

Chinese produced cheese ???? Hard to fathom this statement as from my experience majority of Chinese detest it.

most of the Chinese dairy products are actually imported ingrdient from people like Fonterra in NZ as China doesn't have a big indigineous milk generation base.

The contaminated materials from NZ were documented a while back; NZ sent them dodgy milk and somehow it still ended up in the system after Fonterra warned them that it was bad.

[jackspratt]

Chinese produced cheese ???? Hard to fathom this statement as from my experience majority of Chinese detest it.

most of the Chinese dairy products are actually imported ingrdient from people like Fonterra in NZ as China doesn't have a big indigineous milk generation base.

The contaminated materials from NZ were documented a while back; NZ sent them dodgy milk and somehow it still ended up in the system after Fonterra warned them that it was bad.

Hmm!

China's milk production in 2006 was 33 million tonnes. New Zealand and Australia combined was about 24 m/t.

Everything I have read about the current crisis indicates:

- Fonterra, is a shareholder in the Chinese company at the forefront of the scandal

- Fonterra (in China) tried to blow the whistle a couple of months ago, but it was hushed up at the local level because of the impending Olympics

- the problem wasn't exposed until the NZ govt, after being warned by Fonterra, then informed the central government in Beijing.

Far be it for me as an Australian to defend the Kiwis , but in this case I fear you have done them a huge injustice.

Edited September 22, 2008 by jackspratt

[ozzydom]

Whole milk produced in China has been found to be contaminated also.

Evidently the Chinese milk producers have been watering down the whole milk and then adding melamine to boost the perceived protein content of the diluted product.

[h90]

It says on the box where it's made.

You are naive.......

But maybe Thailand does not import such things.

Usually the "Made in" tells where the milk (or whatever) is packed. Put a German milk to France and pack it there and it is a french milk.

Beside that some countries sometimes add some milk powder (too much milk-->make powder, to less add some....). As well fat free milk is sometimes 102-105 % milk because they add a little bit powder (in some countries).

Just think for Orange Juice made in Sweden or Germany.....

San Daniele Ham from Italy is 100 % Czech pig (might has changed over the last few years).

Cigarettes made in Switzerland....Where can Switzerland cultivate Tobacco??

[h90]

Chinese produced cheese ???? Hard to fathom this statement as from my experience majority of Chinese detest it.

Well 1.500.000.000 Chinese, if only 0.5 % eat cheese you have 7.500.000 people approx. the population of Switzerland....

[Scott]

The Chinese certainly do make cheese and I wasn't referring to cheese imported from China necessarily. I was talking about MILK POWDER that could come from China and be used in such things as cheese made elsewhere, or ice cream or other things containing milk powder.

[robbiecia]

Play it safe..............avoid anything that you eat or drink thats from china!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dumball]

Play it safe..............avoid anything that you eat or drink thats from china!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been doing that for a long time , but as has been stated , one cannot still be absolutely sure .

[Scott]

Yes, I avoid any food imported from China, but as mentioned, it's hard to know for sure. It's easier with fresh products (but not always), but with processed food, God only knows where some of it originates!

[Dakhar]

Play it safe..............avoid anything that you eat or drink thats from china!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I tried that too, until

http://www.helloziyi.us/Galleries/new/plat...ng-ziyi-hq1.htm

a bufet of trouble

[kurgen]

buy a cow

most people I know end up marrying them

[Maizefarmer]

To answer the question: yes - Thailand does import dried milk products from China.

As soon as the story broke the authoroties in Thailand moved fast to ID dried milk products based on, or using powder (and thats where the risk is - not with fresh milk, but with powdered products) sourced from/originating from the concerned Chinese company.

Official Thai info (as of pm 21st September):

- no powdered milk products on the market in Thailand from any of the batches that have been ID'd by the Chinese as having been, or potentialy could have been, "contaminated".

The Thai public are safe.

[goldfish]

I would 'guess' liquid fresh milk is locally produced, items containing milk products might be made with dodgy Chinese milk products.

Precisely what I thought, then I looked at a plastic 1 litre bottle I just threw away. Turns out Meiji are a Japanese company and the milk expires on 03.10.08

[Zpete]

When the story first broke, I made sure I was only using fresh dairy products. Anything that looks like it might have milk powder added to it, I would stay away from for a while. I went to buy some cheese yesterday and noticed a lot of Chinese written on the label and decided not to buy it.

I highly doubt that most of us would run into a problem here in Thailand, but it's easier to be safe than sorry. I would be especially careful if I had kids.

I don't have much of a taste for those high priced imported cheeses from Europe, but I think if I get a craving, that's what I'll be using for a while!

All milk is standardised these days.

In other words, full cream milk is added to bring it up to proper standards.

What chinese were doing using 'melamine'.

You will be pushing your luck to find anything else, other than in a village where cows or buffalo are being milked, but that would not be pasteurised

Look for UHT milk from New Zealand or Australia

It is available...... would be safe, for sure

Edit to add:

Plenty of NZ and OZ cheese available, safe too.

Edited September 23, 2008 by Zpete

[Zpete]

Chinese produced cheese ???? Hard to fathom this statement as from my experience majority of Chinese detest it.

most of the Chinese dairy products are actually imported ingrdient from people like Fonterra in NZ as China doesn't have a big indigineous milk generation base.

The contaminated materials from NZ were documented a while back; NZ sent them dodgy milk and somehow it still ended up in the system after Fonterra warned them that it was bad.

Hmm!

China's milk production in 2006 was 33 million tonnes. New Zealand and Australia combined was about 24 m/t.

Everything I have read about the current crisis indicates:

- Fonterra, is a shareholder in the Chinese company at the forefront of the scandal

- Fonterra (in China) tried to blow the whistle a couple of months ago, but it was hushed up at the local level because of the impending Olympics

- the problem wasn't exposed until the NZ govt, after being warned by Fonterra, then informed the central government in Beijing.

Far be it for me as an Australian to defend the Kiwis , but in this case I fear you have done them a huge injustice.

Thanks, Jackspratt, we down under people must defend each other with the rest of the world.

The above post is quite correct.

steveromagnino , you are totally misinforming forum members, get your facts correct before blabbing off in here.

NO FRESH MILK is sent from New Zealand to China, let alone any with 'melamine contamination'.

Guys like you cause so much misinformation.

Edited September 23, 2008 by Zpete

[IMA_FARANG]

The number of incidents of poisoning due to industrial chemical "Melamine" being used to boost protein levels in Chinese milk powder is said to be in the thousands already, with other cases now starting emerge outside the country. Some other Asian and African countries have now banned all Chinese milk product imports.

Would anyone care to comment about the safety of milk products on the shelves here in Thailand? Does Thailand import Chinese milk products...??

link to story

It's not just milk from China but also milk products that are a concern.

From BBC World News article:

In issuing its recall of milk products, Singapore had already suspended the import and sale of milk and dairy products from China on Friday, after it said it has found traces of melamine in three Chinese-made dairy products. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said "White Rabbit Creamy Candy" was ordered off of shelves after tests showed it was contaminated. White Rabbit is among the best-known candy brands in China and one of the few exported widely. The United States is among 40 nations that import the candy, a man in the administrative office of the Shanghai-based company told CNN Monday. Earlier, Singapore's agri-food agency said it found melamine in two other milk-based Chinese imports: the Yili brand "Choice Dairy Fruit Bar Yoghurt Flavored Ice Confection" and the Dutch Lady brand of strawberry-flavored milk.

Brunei, Indonesia, Malysia, the Phillipines, and Hong Kong are already implementing or are considering a ban on Chinese made Diary products which might contain Milk or Milk power.

I guess were not supposed to post URLs in postings so won't. But you can go to the BBC World Service News and find the article yourself.

I don't know if Thailand imports milk or diary products from China directly, but I think it is certainly possible. However, not all Chinese Milk products are contaminated.

[Scott]

I usually enjoy a candy bar nearly every day--especially milk chocholate. I don't buy the cheapest, but I wonder which ones would be safe. I guess for the time being, I may have to lay off it for a time.

[jfchandler]

Advisory today from the U.S. Consulate, BKK

September 25, 2008

Over the past several weeks, there have been reports of deaths and illness in China as a result of milk contaminated with melamine. China has historically been a supplier of milk and cream products to Thailand, and on September 22, 2008, rising concern over possibly contaminated milk led the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue a statement on its website saying that all Chinese dairy imports will be more stringently inspected. A Thai FDA port inspector confirmed to Embassy officials that all current shipments of Chinese dairy products entering Thailand are tested and only released into the market after all test results are conclusive that the products are not contaminated.

We cannot evaluate the safety of all dairy products available in Thailand, but suggest that consumers stay abreast of current events and always look at the product labels for nutritional information, possible allergens, and country of origin if you are concerned about the source of your food.

For more information on this and other food safety issues, please consult the following sources:

http://www.fda.moph.go.th/fdamain.stm

www.who.int/csr/media/faq/QAmelamine/eu/

www.who.int/foodsafety

www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2008/new01889.html

Updated news and information can also be found on www.cnn.com and www.bbc.com.

[Dakhar]

Advisory today from the U.S. Consulate, BKK

September 25, 2008

Over the past several weeks, there have been reports of deaths and illness in China as a result of milk contaminated with melamine. China has historically been a supplier of milk and cream products to Thailand, and on September 22, 2008, rising concern over possibly contaminated milk led the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue a statement on its website saying that all Chinese dairy imports will be more stringently inspected. A Thai FDA port inspector confirmed to Embassy officials that all current shipments of Chinese dairy products entering Thailand are tested and only released into the market after all test results are conclusive that the products are not contaminated.

We cannot evaluate the safety of all dairy products available in Thailand, but suggest that consumers stay abreast of current events and always look at the product labels for nutritional information, possible allergens, and country of origin if you are concerned about the source of your food.

For more information on this and other food safety issues, please consult the following sources:

http://www.fda.moph.go.th/fdamain.stm

www.who.int/csr/media/faq/QAmelamine/eu/

www.who.int/foodsafety

www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2008/new01889.html

Updated news and information can also be found on www.cnn.com and www.bbc.com.

Wow, that make me feel better.... lucky for me, I a lactose intolerant, and have been off of milk for years. BUT not all dairy products such as cheese, chocolate, ice cream etc I do imbibe at times of weakness. (often)

Edited September 25, 2008 by Dakhar

[jfchandler]

From The Standard in HK...

Nestle pulled from shelves, Mr Brown coffee tested

Carol Chung

Monday, September 22, 2008

Six brands of Nestle baby milk formula have been pulled from the shelves in Hong Kong by Mannings, Wellcome and ParknShop.

The products were made in Heilongjiang province in northeastern China.

"The products were recalled because one of the brands, Neslac 1+ , was found to contain melamine," a spokeswoman for one of the chains said.

But other mainland-made Nestle products remain on the shelves, she added.

The news comes as Premier Wen Jiabao vowed to head off further food safety incidents.

"What we want to do now is prevent this happening again, not just with milk products, but with all foods," Wen said in a broadcast on state television.

More than 12,800 infants have become sick and four babies have died in the mainland after being fed baby formula laced with the banned industrial chemical melamine.

The removal of Nestle products added to a growing list of recalled mainland-made milk products, which so far include all Yili brand milk products, plastic-bottled Dutch Lady Milk, all Mengniu milk and a Nissin Foods boxed dessert.

The Centre for Food Safety last night said it will test samples of Mr Brown coffee for melamine, as eight products using coffee creamer from Shandong province were found to be tainted.

This came after Taiwanese company King Car announced it has recalled packs of its Mr Brown instant coffee and milk tea containing contaminated milk powder imported from the mainland.

The center also released the latest test results of dairy produ

cts, which showed that of 65 samples, including milk, milk beverage, frozen confections, infant formula, milk powder and raw milk, 64 were free of melamine.

A sample of pure milk was found to contain melamine. The product was Nestle Dairy Farm Pure Milk (a one- liter product for catering use only).

"Based on the low level detected [in the product], normal consumption will not pose major health effects. But it is not advisable for small children to consume the milk product," a center spokesman said. "We have informed the trade of the test results and asked them to stop selling and to recall the product."

Kidney specialist Gabriel Choi Kin urged the government to give free kidney checks to all children in Hong Kong, similar to those for more than 7,000 schoolchildren in Macau who participated in a Yili milk scheme.

"Family doctors cannot refer children with no symptoms to public hospitals. These children can only get checks in the private sector," he said, adding such checks can cost up to HK$2,000.

Choi, a former Hong Kong Medical Association president, said kidney stones can be fatal if the stones are big enough.

Medical sector lawmaker-elect Leung Ka-lau said kidney checks should be extended to all public clinics with daily services and longer service hours. But the Department of Health said it has no plan to offer city-wide checks.

The Legislative Council's food and environmental hygiene deputy chairman, Fred Li Wah-ming, said the government should immediately ban the import of all mainland milk products.

More than 10 anxious parents yesterday went to the nephrology and urology department of Princess Margaret Hospital seeking kidney scans for their children but were turned away as the clinic was closed.

"It's worrying that children without symptoms may be suffering from kidney stones," said a man surnamed Choi, whose five-year-old son drank Yili milk regularly over the past three years.

The Lai Chi Kok hospital was designated to handle all kidney checks for children suspected to have consumed tainted milk or have symptoms.

The arrangement came after a three- year-old girl, who had been taking two to three cups of Yili brand milk every day over the past 15 months, was diagnosed on Saturday with a stone in her left kidney despite showing no previous symptoms. She was later discharged in good condition.

[Scott]

I understand that yoghurt contains milk powder and thus could possibly be contaminated. I eat yoghurt daily and assumed it was safe as I thought it was made from whole milk here in Thailand. It's Nestles brand yoghurt and I see they have operations in China.

I also wonder who determines the 'safe level' for melamine? I mean we live in a world with enough pollutants, pesticides, herbicides and other unhealthy products, now we have to live with industrial chemicals deliberately added to our food.

I have always stayed as far away from anything imported from China as possible (food wise that is). It would be nice if all producers of anything with dairy products in them would list where there ingredients are from, at least until this problem is solved.

[Scott]

I see Thailand has finally gotten around to pulling (or requesting stores/shops to pull) a number of products from the shelves, including biscuits, cakes and some candy bars.

And what's scary is that China is heading toward being the next great power, with economic dominance worldwide. Scary. Really quite scary.

[Heng]

Hope Wyeth products (S-26 Gold) are still okay (have like 30 boxes of it in the pantry). Heng Jr. is drinking Meiji whole milk in the meantime.