Top Biz News

Melamine targeted in food courts, restaurants

By Zhao Yanrong (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-10 13:58

Melamine-tainted dairy products are again in the spotlight, says the Beijing municipal health bureau after more than 170 tons of milk powder was recalled during the latest nationwide crackdown.

The bureau said it was undertaking a 10-day investigation into the safety of milk and dairy-products sold in restaurants and food courts in the capital to ensure the public is protected, Beijing News reported yesterday.

All food producers and service companies are told to check their dairy-products.

The enterprises must strictly monitor their stocking systems and hang on to receipts for imported dairy-products so they can be traced if necessary, the bureau said on Monday.

"The investigation mainly focuses on restaurants located in the urban-rural fringe areas. We will check the import records and receipts, especially for milk products," an unnamed insider told the newspaper.

Many local stores have already undergone inspections.

"The municipal health bureau and the administration for industry and commerce have come and checked with us recently," Sun Ge, manager at the Huixindong Street branch of Holiland, said yesterday.

"We have watched the news on TV that some melamine-tainted dairy products are back in the market and the company asked each shop to check dairy products, even before the authorities came," he told METRO.

An announcement from the bureau said the food safety investigation would continue until Feb 22, Beijing Youth Daily reported yesterday.

"Once there is a problem with food safety, it's going to be very serious," she said. "So, it is necessary to enhance the investigation even though there have not been any melamine-tainted dairy products reported in Beijing yet."

In addition to dairy products, restaurants providing Chinese New Year dinners and snack sellers at many Spring Festival temple fairs will also be targeted by the health bureau.