U.S. issues an alert on Chinese products

Candy, snacks, bakery products, pet food and other Chinese products that contain milk will be detained at the border until tests prove they are not contaminated, the federal government said Thursday.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it issued the alert because of concern about such products being contaminated with the toxic chemical melamine. It was discovered in infant formula in September and has sickened more than 50,000 infants in China and killed at least four.

Since then, melamine has been found in a wide range of other products, including milk, eggs and fish feed.

As a result, companies in the United States have recalled several products generally sold in Asian specialty stores, including a nondairy creamer and Mr. Brown brands of instant coffee and tea. But to date, the contamination in the United States was not thought to be widespread.

"We're taking this action because it's the right thing to do for the public health," said Dr. Steven Solomon, a deputy associate FDA commissioner.

But consumer advocates said the agency's action was too little and too late. "Although FDA's action today is a step in the right direction, it does not do enough to ensure consumer safety, especially since melamine contamination in Chinese products continues to broaden," said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch.

As a result of the latest alert, Chinese products that contain milk or milk powder will automatically be detained at the border until the manufacturer or its customer has the product tested and it is found to be free of contamination, or they show documentation indicating the product does not contain milk or milk-derived ingredients.

FDA analyses have detected melamine and cyanuric acid, another contaminant, in "a number of products that contain milk or milk-derived ingredients, including candy and beverages," according to an alert the agency sent to field personnel.

The alert also noted that inspectors in more than 13 other countries had discovered melamine in Chinese products including milk, yogurt, frozen desserts, biscuits, chocolates and cookies.

It is rare for the FDA to block an entire category of one country's foods. Last year, the FDA blocked five types of farm-raised seafood and vegetable protein from China because of repeated instances of contamination.

Unscrupulous food and feed dealers in China add melamine to their products because it artificially inflates protein levels. Because it dissolves poorly, melamine can block the body's filtering system, potentially leading to kidney failure and death.

Solomon said the alert would likely apply mostly to specialty products sold in Asian markets. Benjamin England, a former lawyer at the agency, described the latest alert as "massive" and said it could affect "a tremendous amount of goods."

"It's going to jam the ports up all the way up the supply chain," said England, who represents food-supply companies.

The import alert could extend to Chinese shrimp, England said, because much of it is breaded and the breading could contain dairy products. China is also one of the world's biggest makers of supplements, and some protein powders and shakes are made largely with powdered milk.

The effect of the alert is likely to be long-lasting, England said, because importers must prove that each and every shipment is free of contamination.

"It's impossible to get off the alert list," England said.

China exports a relatively small but growing amount of dairy products to the U.S., about $13 million in 2007, most of which was casein, a dairy ingredient.

By contrast, New Zealand exported $697 million to the U.S. But the figures do not include food products and dietary supplements that include milk or milk-derived ingredients, a potentially much larger universe.