No melamine found in Finnish milk products
No Chinese milk imports to EU
|
|
|
No melamine, the industrial chemical behind the massive milk contamination scandal in China, has been found in milk products sold in Finland. The contamination of powdered milk with the industrial chemical melamine has caused symptoms of illness in over 50,000 children in China, and more than 12,000 are still hospitalised.
Tests do not routinely look for melamine, because there is no reason to suspect that there would be any, says Britta Wiander of the import and marketing control unit of the Finnish Food Safety Authority EVIRA.
Imports of Chinese milk products into the European Union have been banned since 2002,
Even if there were no actual ban, milk product imports would not be possible, because China does not have milk processing plants that would meet EU standards”, Britta Wiander says.
“No information has come from any EU country that there would have been any indications of products originating in China containing melamine.”
The European Commission has asked China for information on products containing melamine, and on how the present situation has arisen.
The European Food Safety Authority EFSA plans to examine whether or not food imports from China that contain milk would involve a health risk. Such products might include biscuits.
All powdered milk sold by the Finnish dairy company Valio comes from Finnish farms, says the company’s head of communications Pia Kontunen.
“Products sold as Valio milk can only have vitamin D or health promoting lactic acid bacteria added to it.” Products sold under the name maitojuoma (“milk drink”) have calcium added to it.
“The company does not import Chinese milk products, or raw materials that might contain melamine.”
Valio accounts for 57 per cent of all milk products sold in Finland. Almost all of the products produced by Valio are made from Finnish milk.
Some special cheeses are imported by Valio, and some dessert curd is imported from Estonia, from dairies run by Valio, where quality supervision is as high as it is in Finland.
Helsingin Sanomat
|
| 23.9.2008 - TODAY |
 No melamine found in Finnish milk products |
|
