Next Dangerous Product from China: Baby Formula

Now, it should be noted that no baby formula approved for use in the USA is manufactured in China (wonder why).

"We want to reassure the public that there's no contamination in the domestic supply of infant formula," said Janice Oliver, deputy of operations at the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

The U.S.-approved makers of milk-based baby formula are Abbott Nutrition, Bristol-Myers Squibb unit MeadJohnson Nutritionals, Nestle USA, PBM Nutritionals and Solus Products; the FDA contacted them and none of them use Chinese ingredients, either.

However, in 2004 fake formula from China, which killed dozens of babies there, was found in at least one U.S. store. It was an Asian market, so that is what the FDA is concerned about this time.

Reports in the Chinese news media say that as many as 60 babies have been admitted to hospitals with kidney stones and that the illnesses have been linked to powdered formula made by the company Sanlu. At least one baby has died.

Melamine, if you'll recall from the pet food story from last year, can be used to increase the "perceived" protein content of something.

It's amazing to me that such things happen in China; apparently they don't have the sort of oversight we have here (and which, even here, sometimes fails). Yet despite this, we continue to outsource our manufacturing to China.

Why? Oh, right, corporate greed as well as the need to get the lowest price at any cost. Gotcha.