More quality problems detected in NZ baby formula

Quality problems have been found in milk powder imported from New Zealand and other overseas producers, the Beijing News reported on Tuesday.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said on Monday that customs officials stopped three New Zealand baby formula brands from entering the country, and the products were destroyed by quality authorities for mislabeling or failing to pass mineral contents tests.

Infant formula imported from New Zealand by Shanghai Cnetirum Nurtures Group was mislabeled, and its content of iron, magnesium and L-carnitine, an important protein building block, fell short of national standards, according to the administration.

Baby formula imported from other countries also had quality problems.

Salmonella, a bacterium that causes food poisoning, was found in infant formula milk powder imported from the Netherlands by a company in East China's Zhejiang province, the administration said. The bacterium can kill babies in serious cases.

The milk products were among 649 batches of imported food and cosmetics that were found to meet quality standards. All problematic food was returned or destroyed, and none of it entered the domestic market, the administration said.

The news has further undermined some mainland parents' trust in New Zealand milk products, following quality problems in January.

Media reported last month that low levels of dicyandiamide, or DCD, a low toxicity chemical, were found in dairy products produced in New Zealand.

Though New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries insisted that the dairy products are safe, saying only that a very small amount of the products might contain the residue, the incident raised public concern. About 80 percent of China's imported milk comes from New Zealand.