Timeline of the 2008 Chinese milk scandal
Encyclopedia
This timeline of the 2008 Chinese milk scandal
documents how events related to the Chinese dairy products contamination by melamine unfolded. Complaints about kidney problems traced back to a brand of infant formula
, subsequent discoveries of melamine
contamination of liquid milk, and exported powdered milk of processed food products (using contaminated milk). The scandal decimated Chinese dairy exports, and re-exposed long-standing concerns about food security, corruption, lack of political checks and balances. Though the scandal came to attention in 2008, its roots can be traced back to events prior to 2008.
2008 Chinese milk scandal
The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a food safety incident in the People's Republic of China, involving milk and infant formula, and other food materials and components, adulterated with melamine....
documents how events related to the Chinese dairy products contamination by melamine unfolded. Complaints about kidney problems traced back to a brand of infant formula
Infant formula
Infant formula is a manufactured food designed and marketed for feeding to babies and infants under 12 months of age, usually prepared for bottle-feeding or cup-feeding from powder or liquid . The U.S...
, subsequent discoveries of melamine
Melamine
Melamine is an organic base and a trimer of cyanamide, with a 1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Like cyanamide, it contains 66% nitrogen by mass and, if mixed with resins, has fire retardant properties due to its release of nitrogen gas when burned or charred, and has several other industrial uses....
contamination of liquid milk, and exported powdered milk of processed food products (using contaminated milk). The scandal decimated Chinese dairy exports, and re-exposed long-standing concerns about food security, corruption, lack of political checks and balances. Though the scandal came to attention in 2008, its roots can be traced back to events prior to 2008.
2007
- December: According to the Xinhua News AgencyXinhua News AgencyThe Xinhua News Agency is the official press agency of the government of the People's Republic of China and the biggest center for collecting information and press conferences in the PRC. It is the largest news agency in the PRC, ahead of the China News Service...
, Sanlu received the first complaints about its baby milk.
2008
- 16 July: Gansu Province reports to the Ministry of Health that local hospitals had identified an increase in the incidence of kidney ailments among babies in the months earlier, and that most victims had consumed Sanlu’s baby formula.
- 24 July: The bulletin board of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and QuarantineGeneral Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and QuarantineThe General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine is a ministerial-level department under the State Council of the People's Republic of China that is in charge of national quality, metrology, entry-exit commodity inspection, entry-exit health quarantine, entry-exit...
(AQSIQ) indicated a rare occurrence of kidney stones in children – all causally traced to Sanlu milk formula – was flagged by a urologist in a paediatric hospital - 2 August: FonterraFonterraFonterra Co-operative Group Limited is a New Zealand multinational dairy co-operative owned by almost 10,500 New Zealand farmers. The company is responsible for approximately 30% of the world's dairy exports and with revenue exceeding NZ$19.87 billion, is New Zealand's largest company.- History :In...
became aware of Sanlu melamine contamination - 11 August: Memo allegedly from PR agency dated this day, suggesting paying BaiduBaiduBaidu, Inc. , simply known as Baidu and incorporated on January 18, 2000, is a Chinese web services company headquartered in the Baidu Campus in Haidian District, Beijing, People's Republic of China....
¥3 million to censor negative news. The memo starts circulating on the internet within days. - 5 September: Fonterra notified the New Zealand government
- 8 September: the New Zealand Prime MinisterPrime Minister of New ZealandThe Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
Helen ClarkHelen ClarkHelen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
notified Beijing officials alerted directly - 11 September: A Dongfang Zaobao reporter, Jian Guangzhou, reported the connection between Sanlu's baby formula and infant kidney stones to the Chinese public. This was the first time that Sanlu was identified as being responsible for the cases on a public media; the Ministry of Health confirmed the report in a press briefing that evening; World Health OrganisationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
notified - 12 September: USFDA Issues Health Information Advisory on Infant Formula; Sanlu Group admits that its milk powder was contaminated with melamine.
- 13 September: Production halted at Sanlu; nineteen people are arrested; BaiduBaiduBaidu, Inc. , simply known as Baidu and incorporated on January 18, 2000, is a Chinese web services company headquartered in the Baidu Campus in Haidian District, Beijing, People's Republic of China....
denies ever agreeing to bury Sanlu negative news - 15 September: Beijing confirms two babies dead. Vice-President of the Sanlu Group apologises to the public.
- 16 September: Milk powder from 22 Chinese companies tested positive for melamine, Sanlu tops the rankings
- 17 September: MD of Sanlu is detained on criminal charges; ShijiazhuangShijiazhuangShijiazhuang is the capital and largest city of North China's Hebei province. Administratively a prefecture-level city, it is about south of Beijing...
Mayor Ji Chuntang resigns; Health Minister Chen ZhuChen ZhuChen Zhu , is a Chinese hematologist, molecular biologist, and current Minister of Health of P.R.China...
declares toll of "more than 6,200 children, and that more than 1,300 others, mostly newborns, remain hospitalised with 158 suffering from acute kidney failure" - 18 September: China revokes 'Inspection-Free' right of top dairy companies; YiliYiliYili may refer to:*Yili , Chinese classic text*Yili Group, company of dairy industry in China*Yili horse, small horse from the north-western Xinjiang region of China*Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, in northernmost Xinjiang, China...
products recalled in Hong Kong after testing positive for melamine - 19 September: Melamine found in ordinary milk from three well-known dairies. One of the firms involved - MengniuMengniuChina Mengniu Dairy Company Limited is a manufacturing and distribution company of dairy products and ice cream in the People's Republic of China...
dairy issues blanket recall on all its products.
- 21 September: additional Hong Kong victim diagnosed; Chinese premier Wen JiabaoWen JiabaoWen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...
makes a PR visit to sick infants; NestléNestléNestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
pure milk contaminated, Taiwan's Mr. Brown CoffeeMr. Brown CoffeeMr. Brown Coffee is a series of canned coffee products produced by the King Car company of Taiwan. It was launched in 1982.Mr. Brown Coffee is sold in 240ml steel cans and 330ml plastic bottles. Varieties include original, espresso, cappuccino, vanilla, Colombian, Macadamia nut, and Blue...
is recalled following discovery of contamination - 22 September: Toll of ill babies rises to 53,000, and the death toll to at least four; Li ChangjiangLi ChangjiangLi Changjiang was minister and Communist Party of China party chief of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China .- Biography :...
, minister in charge of the AQSIQ, is forced to resign after the State Council publishes inquest concluded that he was responsible for the "negligence in supervision"; Local Party Secretary Wu Xianguo is dismissed; Taiwan bans Chinese milk products - 23 September: Other countries start to test Chinese dairy products or remove them from shops; Malaysia bans Chinese milk candies, chocolate; Tanzania suspends milk imports from China; Two new HK victims diagnosed; scare widens to cake, sweets; toll of victims mount to 54,000 children, 4 dead
- 24 September: 3 more children in HK and Macau sick; Indonesia bans Chinese milk imports; TescoTescoTesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
withdraws White Rabbit Creamy Candies
- 25 September: South Korea bans Chinese food; two-year-old girl is first suspected victim in Taiwan; Vietnam bans milk imported from China; The EU bans Chinese baby food with milk traces. Sales of White Rabbit Creamy CandyWhite Rabbit Creamy CandyWhite Rabbit Creamy Candy is a brand of candy manufactured by Shanghai Guan Sheng Yuan Food, Ltd. in The People's Republic of China.- Background :...
are halted after tests detect melamine. - 26 September: Chile withdraws Chinese dairy products; India bans Chinese dairy products for 3 months; Taiwan reports 5 new melamine victims; Taiwanese Health minister resigns over melamine tolerance levels
- 27 September: Hong Kong finds traces of melamine in HJ Heinz baby food; Indonesia finds melamine in M&Ms (Mars Inc) and OreoOreoOreo is a trademark for a popular sandwich cookie by the Nabisco Division of Kraft Foods. The current design consists of a sweet, white filling commonly referred to as 'cream' or 'creme', sandwiched between two circular chocolate or golden cookie pieces....
s (NabiscoNabiscoNabisco is an American brand of cookies and snacks. Headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey, the company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Kraft Foods. Nabisco's plant in Chicago, a production facility at 7300 S...
) - 29 September: Cadbury recalls products in Asia after tests find traces of melamine. Reports say 22 people have been arrested in Hebei province, suspected of introducing melamine into the supply chain.
- 30 September: Koala's March Cookies with melamine found in Netherlands; LiptonLiptonLipton is a brand of tea currently owned by Unilever.-History of Lipton Tea:Lipton was created at the end of the 19th century by a grocer, Sir Thomas Lipton, in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1893, he established the Thomas J. Lipton Co., a tea packing company with its headquarters and factory in Hobo ken,...
milk tea powder recalled in Hong Kong; melamine found in 31 milk batches tested by AQSIQ - 2 October: Parents file lawsuit in China against Sanlu
- 7 October: Six more detained over melamine
- 8 October: PRC govt said it would no longer issue updated figures "because it is not an infectious disease"; Reuters compiled figures reported by local media across the country, and said the toll stood at nearly 94,000 at the end of September
- 10 October: Slovakia finds melamine in chocolate snacks; Three milk program girls in Macau diagnosed with kidney stones
- 14 October: China orders the withdrawal of all milk produced more than a month ago
- 15 October: Seventh kidney stone case diagnosed in Hong Kong
- 16 October: Eighth kidney stone case diagnosed in Hong Kong; Italy seizes smuggled Chinese milk; Malaysia discovers impure ammonium bicarbonate responsible for biscuits contamination
- 18 October: Japan finds melamine in egg powder
- 19 October: Taiwanese authorities detected melamine in 469 tons of baking ammonia imported from China
- 21 October: About 1,500 raccoon dogRaccoon DogThe raccoon dog , also known as the magnut or tanuki, is a canid indigenous to east Asia. It is the only extant species in the genus Nyctereutes...
s bred for their fur on a farm in China die of kidney failure after eating feed tainted with melamine. - 22 October: Hong Kong scientists find excessive levels of melamine in a brand of mainland eggs; S Korea finds melamine in Chinese egg powder
- 23 October: Six more people are arrested in connection with the tainted milk scandal.
- 25 October: Anti-China rally in TaiwanOctober 25, 2008 anti-China protestThe 1025 demonstration was a demonstration on October 25, 2008 sponsored by the Democratic Progressive Party and Taiwan Solidarity Union in Taipei, Taiwan...
- 26 October: Hong Kong authorities discover eggs produced by Dalian Hanwei GroupHanwei GroupHanwei Group is a company based in Dalian, China. It is China's biggest producer of eggs. As of October 2008, it has become embroiled in a scandal involving traces of melamine being found in its eggs.-Overview:...
's eggs contain melamine. - 29 October: Two more egg brands from Shanxi and Hubei provinces are found to contain melamine.
- 31 October: Law suits against Sanlu put on hold by officials; State media admit that melamine is probably being routinely added to Chinese animal feed.
- 2 November: A Chinese official insists the egg scandal is isolated case, and clamps down on illegal producers of feed.
- 1 December: Ministry of Health revises number of victims to more than 290,000, 51,900 hospitalised; 3 deaths officially confirmed (out of 11 deaths reported from provinces).
- 10 December: Ministry of Health announces 22 million children examined for kidney problems since September; MoH also stated compensation plan for victims under review.
- 25 December: Shijiazhuang court accepted a creditor's bankruptcy petition against Sanlu.
- 26 December: Shijiazhuang court charged six people in connection with melamine adulteration, of which two of "endangering public security". Four others were charged in other Hebei courts.
- 29 December:1,500 boxes of melamine-contaminated Silang House of Steamed Potato Crackers destined for Hong Kong were seized and destroyed.
- 31 December: Tian Wenhua, former general manager of Sanlu, and three other company executives appeared in court in Shijiazhuang, charged with producing and selling milk contaminated with melamine.
2009
- 2 January A group of parents whose children fell ill from contaminated milk held a news conference to draw attention to the plight of their sick children; five were detained by police, and were taken to a labour camp outside Beijing.
- 22 January China begins sentencing those involved in the scandal. The former boss of Sanlu, Tian Wenhua, was sentenced to life imprisonment along with three others, while two men, Zhang Yujun and Geng Jinping, were sentenced to death. Wenhua was also ordered to pay a fine of 20 million yuan ($2.9 million). Sanlu was fined 50 million yuan ($7.3 million) although it has been declared bankrupt.
- 24 November: Zhang Yujun and Geng Jinping are executed.
See also
- Official test failures of the 2008 Chinese milk scandalOfficial test failures of the 2008 Chinese milk scandal-Tests conducted by AQSIQ:results published on 16 September 2008Source: China Central Televisionresults published on 30 September 2008Source: Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine...
- 2007 Chinese export recalls2007 Chinese export recallsIn 2007 a series of product recalls and import bans were imposed by the product safety institutions of the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia and New Zealand against products manufactured in and exported from the mainland of the People's Republic of China because of numerous...
- Timeline of the 2007 pet food recallsTimeline of the 2007 pet food recallsThis Timeline of the 2007 Pet Food Recalls documents how events related to the 2007 pet food recalls unfolded. Several contaminated Chinese vegetable proteins were used by pet food makers in North America, Europe and South Africa, leading to renal failure in animals fed the contaminated food...
- Chinese protein export contaminationChinese protein export contaminationProtein adulteration in the People's Republic of China refers to the adulteration and contamination of several food and feed ingredients with inexpensive melamine and other compounds such as cyanuric acid, ammeline and ammelide...
External links
- "Timeline: China milk scandal", BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 14 November 2008