Health Highlights: Nov. 13, 2008
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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
U.S. to Detain Milk Products From China
U.S. health officials said Thursday that any food products imported from China that contain milk will be detained at the border until tests prove they aren't contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine.
The Food and Drug Administration said it was taking the action because of concerns about Chinese food products contaminated with the toxic chemical. Since September, melamine-tainted milk has killed at least four babies in China and sickened tens of thousands of others.
Melamine has also been found in a range of products coming to the United States from China since September, including milk, eggs and fish feed. U.S. companies have recalled several imported products, including non-dairy creamers and a type of candy, which are primarily sold in Asian markets, The New York Times reported.
"We're taking this action because it's the right thing to do for the public health," Dr. Steven Solomon, an FDA deputy associate commissioner, said Thursday.
That means that Chinese products that contain milk or milk powder will be detained until the manufacturer or its customer has had the product tested and found it to be free of contamination, or they show documentation indicating that the product does not contain milk or milk-derived ingredients, the Times reported.
"The burden shifts to the importer," Solomon said, adding that the alert would primarily apply to specialty products sold in Asian markets.
It's believed that dairy suppliers in China add melamine to watered-down milk to make it appear rich in protein. The chemical can cause kidney stones and potentially fatal kidney failure.
While the FDA often halts the importation of individual food products, it rarely blocks an entire category of foods from one country. Last year, the FDA stopped the importation of five types of farm-raised seafood as well as vegetable protein from China because of contamination from unapproved animal drugs and food additives, the newspaper said.
Earlier this month, Chinese officials said they had uncovered more evidence that melamine was widespread in the nation's animal feed supplies. BBC News reported that the addition of melamine to animal feed in China was likely routine and an "open secret," according to reports published in several state-run newspapers in China.
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