Tianjin penalizes workers over milk powder bribes

The Tianjin Municipality government penalized workers from medical institutions involved in accepting bribes from French company Danone to promote its milk formula, Tianjin Daily reported on Monday.

A total of 116 medical staffers from 85 medical institutes were found to have accepted bribes from the company to help promote its milk powder, including giving lectures to parents of newborn babies, according to the report.

Thirteen people guilty of serious violations received penalties, including being removed from their positions .

Six medical officials or heads of medical institutes received administrative punishment, the report said.

China Central Television reported last month that Danone, which markets its infant formula under the brand Dumex, gave kickbacks to medical staffers at a hospital in Tianjin to feed newborn babies its infant formula products.