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763 batches of Chinese milk found chemical free

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-29 09:51

Milk quality testing continues throughout China in the wake of a deadly contamination scandal.

None of the toxic chemical melamine was found in 763 samples of China's major milk brands since Wednesday, said the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) on Sunday.

In all, GAQSIQ conducted milk quality checks on 55 domestic brands across the country's 19 major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing, among others.

A nationwide inspection of baby milk powder was ordered on September 11 after media reported dairy products produced by Sanlu and other Chinese brands contained melamine.

The quality watchdog also ordered shopping malls and supermarkets nationwide to display lists of safe dairy producers and products, and to put "safe" tags on items for sale.

Chinese Minister of Commerce Chen Deming on Sunday urged domestic dairy  manufacturers to enhance social responsibility during an inspection of Yili Group's dairy plant in the capital city.

"You should step up quality supervision and self-discipline efforts to keep in line with quality and safety standards in every part of the production process," Chen said.

The company has taken effective measures to ensure the quality of fresh milk, said Pan Gang, board chairman of Yili Group based in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Chen stressed that all dairy companies should faithfully abide by national laws and standards to do business in the principle of good faith and provide consumers with products of good quality.

The Ministry of Commerce on Sunday urged local authorities to take tangible measures to regulate and stabilize the dairy market in the country's vast rural areas.

China has a rural population of 900 million but their consumption is weak compared with urban residents.

The Ministry of Agriculture said eight inspection groups from the central government were pushing forward the quality rectification efforts in milking stations, dairy farms and feedstuff plants among 16 major dairy production provincial areas nationwide.

Agriculture minister Sun Zhengcai called on farm agencies to strive to safeguard dairy farmers' interests and promote the healthy development of the dairy industry.

The People's Bank of China, the central bank, and the China Banking Regulatory Commission said in a notice on Sunday night that financial institutions should give timely support to law-abiding dairy farmers and manufacturers who meet loan requirements and have capital bottlenecks.